


Darkness Returns

by LuceTheGoose



Series: A Dragon Among Thieves [6]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Heartbreak, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 08:06:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17260619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuceTheGoose/pseuds/LuceTheGoose
Summary: After the death of Mercer, Kaiya deals with grief and heartbreak that threatens to tear her apart, but the Guild needs her terribly. She reluctantly takes on the role of Guildmaster in hopes to bring some stability back to the Guild, but when Karliah returns with news of an empty Irkngthand Sanctuary, they realize that they may not be done with Mercer after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> On a personal note, I wrote Darkness Returns (and specifically Chapter I) a few short weeks after losing my brother suddenly and unexpectedly. While I felt kindred to Kaiya through most of this story, it wasn't until we both lost someone close to us that I felt I really understood her. This first chapter, in describing her reactions and what was going through her head, was extremely personal for me as I had just felt the same way. Writing this was also the closest thing I felt to therapeutic for weeks so it holds a special place in my heart. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this :) 
> 
> Like in Speaking with Silence, I leaned on this [ playlist ](https://open.spotify.com/user/samanthastroupe/playlist/5kWn2UhP8Ni3rdfnExsmQi?si=9eFL3cs_SViyiodETGwwGA) quite heavily when writing Darkness Returns. Some songs just seem to fit certain chapters perfectly, so I'll make some recommendations. 
> 
> For Chapter I, I strongly recommend you listen to "Pyramid Song" and "How to Disappear Completely" by Radiohead and prepare to be sad. These recommendations are pretty personal to me as well considering this is what I listened to almost nonstop as I was dealing with my own grief.

_26th of First Seed 4E203_

Kaiya watched as the remnants of her last meal floated along the top of the icy lake. How strange it was, that the dried beef that had given her strength and sustenance now collided with the chunks of ice, becoming submerged and engulfed by the bobbing bergs, never to reach its full potential. It was an offering to the lake that the water would never need, a soaked and disgusting reminder that in the end, nothing mattered. All of the purpose, potential and meaning ever projected onto an object had no impact on the frigid waters around it. Everything was nothing to the lake and everything floated just the same.

With trembling fingers, Kaiya removed what remained of her Nightingale hood and let her sweat drenched hair flow freely in the icy breeze that cut into her cheeks. Her tears had stopped, but the wind reminded her that they still clung to her face. Her vacant eyes took in her frigid fingertips, sticking out of the ends of her Nightingale gloves, as they gripped the ice below her for stability. They were white, whether from the arctic temperatures or from the strength of her grip, she didn't know. And she didn't care. She let the cold bite at her skin, blow her hair around her face, cut into her armor because she was lucky enough to be able to feel it. He never would again.

She remained motionless, too afraid that movement would bring her back to the reality she so desperately wanted to escape. The shock was better. It was as if her awareness had curled up on itself inside of her, hiding from the world beyond. Nothing could get to her there, she reasoned. No more hurt could come to her if she remained hidden, so hidden she would remain. But even in this moment, when she was just as much in Oblivion as she was on Nirn, she knew she would have to come back eventually. Life was never so kind as to let you hide forever. Reality had a way of sticking its hands into your safe shell and pulling you back out just to slap you around again. If she was able to feel in that moment, she would've saddened at the realization that she had experienced this before but instead, she remained vacant. Nothing in, nothing out. A hollow vessel.

"It's over."

Kaiya heard the words but knew nothing of their meaning. She was at the end of a tunnel into Oblivion and the words were spoken in another plane. That had to be what was happening, because she couldn't face the relief that poured from the words. But as hard as she tried to fight it, the awareness inside her was now awake. She was back. With two little words, Karliah had effectively pulled Kaiya out of her shell and back into the world of the living. Or at least, the world of the feeling.

"I can't believe it's over."

Kaiya felt her fingers curl into fists at the traitorous sound of relief coming from Karliah's mouth. It was over. She was right. But the relief, the relief was something Kaiya couldn't comprehend.

"Twenty-five years in exile and just like that, it's done."

Kaiya remained staring forward, but she could feel her anger quickly overtaking her sorrow. Anger had a funny way of doing that - interjecting itself as if it were doing it for her benefit. It was as if the anger knew that any more sadness would break her beyond repair, so it jumped in to help save the fragile sanity that hung on in Kaiya by a thread.

"All that remains is to ensure the safe return of the Skeleton Key."

The anger had taken the reins completely. Kaiya felt the heat course through her veins, bringing feeling back to her cheeks and dexterity to her frozen fingers. She continued to stare down at her hands, but the vacantness was long gone. In its place was an anger Kaiya was all too familiar with. The rage that took control when her reason was gone.

"Aye lass, but could you give the poor girl a moment before we start talking business?"

Kaiya jumped at the closeness of the Brynjolf's voice. She had not even realized he was kneeling beside her on the ice. Once she became aware of his proximity, she could feel his hand on her back. It moved up and down, back and forth, slow circles meant to provide comfort. A nice gesture, but it did little to calm the turmoil that was building inside her.

"We're in the middle of the wilderness, Brynjolf. We'll have predators on us any minute now. We need to get moving."

With her voice shaking and cracked, Kaiya finally spoke although her eyes did not move from continuing to stare at her hands. "After twenty-five years of waiting for your vengeance, one would think you'd be more patient."

Silence filled the air around them. Neither Brynjolf nor Karliah knew how to respond. Kaiya was a pressure plate on a good day. They had no idea what to expect from her now.

"The Key needs to be returned, Kaiya."

Karliah's words were clipped, her response terse. Kaiya's anger boiled at the tone, the callousness of her impatience was putting them on a precarious edge.

"Sounds simple enough lass, let's let her be for a moment." Brynjolf tried again to smooth over the situation between the two women, their tempers palpably at a breaking point. It was as if the air around them was sparking, the tension a tinderbox waiting to blow.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Brynjolf. When the Skeleton Key was stolen from the Twilight Sepulcher, our access to the Inner Sanctum was removed. The only way to bring it back will be through the Pilgrim's Path." Karliah's words were sharp, thinly veiled under her modest restraint.

"And let me guess," Kaiya cut in now, her words just as sharp. "You've never used the Pilgrim's Path before."

"It wasn't created for the Nightingales. It was created to test those who wished to serve Nocturnal in other ways." Karliah leaned into her hip and crossed her arms over her chest, bravado exuding off of her in waves. "As a consequence, I have no knowledge of what you'll be facing."

"You'll?!" Kaiya shrieked, her gaze finally snapping away from the ground and boring straight into Karliah's. "You better not be saying what I think you're saying." Her words were a warning, their severity matching the glare in her eyes.

"Brynjolf is needed back at the Thieves Guild to keep order while you're away." Karliah's posture straightened as she did her best to remain confident under Kaiya's glowering stare. "And I…"

"And you, what?" Kaiya asked, her question a menacing rumble.

"And I… I can't bear to face Nocturnal after my failure to protect the Key. I'm afraid you'll have to face the end of your journey alone."

Karliah's words rolled through Kaiya's stomach, tossing and turning with her rising anger and snuffing out the rest of her reason. She snapped.

In an instant, Kaiya had lept off of the ground where she had been kneeling on all fours and was at Karliah's throat. With one hand on her neck, Kaiya pushed the Nightingale into the stone that made up the wall to Bronze Water Cave. With her other hand, she gripped the hilt of her dagger in its sheath but did not yet bring it out. "If this is your idea of a joke then I must warn you," Kaiya warned in her deepest, most menacing tone. "It is not funny and this is not the time." Her bloodshot eyes were crazed, boring into Karliah's like a predator, the infamous assassin once again making an appearance.

"N-no. It's not a joke." Karliah retorted, trying and failing to keep her voice from shaking. "Get off of me!" She cried, pushing at Kaiya's shoulders although Kaiya did not budge.

"That man in there," Kaiya gestured towards the cave, momentarily removing her hand from her dagger's hilt before replacing it. "Was the only man I've ever loved. I just killed him. And not with one big, dramatic show, oh no. The gods love me so much that they thought it would be better for me to have to kill him slowly. One slash at a time. I had to hack away at him while staring him in the eyes, watching the life leave him with every swing of my blade. Can you even comprehend that torture, Karliah?"

"He deserved it for what he did!" Karliah shrieked in response, her eyes full of questions. "I thought we agreed on that!"

"Oh, he deserved it. But it didn't make it hurt any less, Karliah."

Tears began to rise to Kaiya's eyes again not from sadness, but from anger. The helpless marionette seeing its own strings, just as Kaiya had seen in Mercer in the sanctuary. It was as if saying this out loud made it more real, made her pain more visceral. With her hand on Karliah's throat, she shoved her harder into the stones behind her, causing a small shriek to escape the lungs of the pinned thief.

"I accepted long ago that I was nothing more than the gods' plaything," Kaiya continued, her words pushing past clenched teeth as her hand around Karliah's throat tightened. "It's one thing when the gods put me through Oblivion on Nirn for their amusement. When they make me kill an innocent or watch as my friends die. It's a torture I hope you'll never know. But ever since I've met you outside that godsforsaken ruin, you've cared of nothing but yourself. Your vengeance. You watched as our hearts broke and our worlds fell apart and even though you have plenty of reason to empathize, you didn't. You kept your eyes on your godsdamned revenge and treated our suffering as an inconvenience. Who the hell are you to treat me that way?"

Karliah's eyes widened at the threatening turn in the conversation. Kaiya could sense her fear, feel her trembling beneath the hold Kaiya had on her. In the distance, she could hear Brynjolf as well, yelling for her to get off. Yelling for them to stop. Trying and failing to pull Kaiya away. Kaiya's resolve only grew as she pressed herself closer to her, forcing her face so close to Karliah's that their noses touched.

"And now," she stressed as she shrugged Brynjolf away. "You stand here and act as though your nervousness to face Nocturnal is somehow reason enough to back out? After all this, you're going to leave it to me and me ALONE to finish this mission? Have you no empathy? Are you capable of thinking of anyone but yourself!?"

Kaiya paused as she waited for an answer that didn't come. Karliah stared back at her, her tension pulling her taut. "Answer me!" Kaiya thundered into her face, her body shaking with the fury. Karliah did not speak but nodded twice, so quickly that Kaiya almost missed it, in response.

Kaiya felt the tension pouring off of Karliah as she continued. In the smallest recesses of Kaiya's brain, her awareness remained. She was still in control after all, not her rage. It wasn't like it normally was, where Kaiya would be unable to sense anything around her except for the anger in her veins. Kaiya could feel it all. Brynjolf's tugging, Karliah's trembling. It was because she wanted this. Not her rage, not her fury or betrayal or hurt. Kaiya wanted to scare Karliah this way. At this, she felt her grip loosen on the Dunmer's throat, not wanting to push it too far. She had made her point, she need not harm her on top of the fear.

"Good." Kaiya crooned as her lips turned up into a wicked smile. "Now that we have established that, I'm going to tell you what's going to happen. You and you alone are going to finish this mission. You and you alone are going to take this godsdamned Key to the sepulcher and return it. End this, once and for all. Is that clear?"

Karliah nodded with excitement at Kaiya's words. To not have known whether or not Kaiya was going to snap and kill her in this encounter, it must have been a huge relief to hear of her decision.

"Good girl. Now get out of my sight."

Kaiya tossed Karliah to the side by the throat and watched as the Dunmer crumbled into a heap on the ground, coughing and wheezing to get the air to flow back in her lungs. She turned to Brynjolf and for the first time in her life, did not care whether or not a bystander was afraid. Kaiya had needed that. The surge of power, the control, the feeling of finally putting Karliah in her place even though everyone else seemed to kiss her ass. But while she expected to see Brynjolf afraid, she was met instead with nothing but pity.

"I'm sorry, lass" he mumbled as his eyes cast downward. "I knew Mercer meant a lot to you, but I never thought about it all like that."

His eyes remained on Kaiya but one of his hands shot out to help Karliah to her feet. She accepted, and in no time was standing with them on shaky legs. She took the opportunity to get her gear together and prepare to leave, all the while avoiding eye contact with Kaiya as if it would burn her. Once she was ready, she said her goodbyes and headed off in the direction of the Twilight Sepulcher. Kaiya smiled a bit as she watched the thief leave, somehow knowing that what had just happened between them was entirely necessary.

"Do you really feel like that? Like the gods' plaything?" Brynjolf asked, snapping Kaiya out of her thoughts.

Kaiya was surprised as she felt her lips curl upwards into a smile. Leave it to Brynjolf to have had an epiphany about the severity of a situation much too late. "You're just realizing this now, Bryn?" Kaiya asked with a slight laugh in her voice. "Think about it, of course I do. None of my choices have ever been my own."

Brynjolf's eyes grew wide as he thought on Kaiya's words. The smile remained firmly planted onto her face in response as she watched the gears turn in that head of his. "Aye," he finally replied with a nod. "Well I'll let you make a decision now, if you'd like."

Kaiya nodded, interested in where this would go.

"Would you like to join me in going home? I could sure use a drink after all this."

"Aye lad," Kaiya replied in his accent. "Let's go drink this away."

Kaiya turned towards the cave to say her silent goodbyes to the man who remained within. She brought out a single Dragon's Tongue flower from her pocket, the flower she considered a signature of hers almost as if it were a shadowmark, and dropped it ceremoniously at the cave entrance. With her eyes full of tears and heartache pumping through her so palpably it strangled her very ability to breathe, she turned away, putting her back to the cave. One step, then another, one by one, moved her closer to Brynjolf who awaited her with open arms and away from the cave in which a piece of her heart would always reside.

"You got this, Kai" Brynjolf reassured her as they linked arms and begun to walk towards Riften.

"I don't know, Bryn" she answered with a sad smile, "but I have to try."

"Aye lass. One step at a time."


	2. Chapter 2

_4th of Second Seed 4E203_

_Kaiya watches as the water rises higher and higher, encroaching on the deathly still Mercer who lay before her. "This place is coming down! Let's get out of here!" There is a crash as another pipe breaks. The water is gushing in now, the roaring sound overwhelming in its intensity. It's all she can hear. The water has started to rise over him now, his face warping with the waves. She feels a pull at her arm. "We need to go now, lass. Let's move!" Water is everywhere. It continues to rise quickly, now up to her knees. She pulls away from Brynjolf to grab onto the floating body that threatens to drift away. "No lass!" he yells above the sound of the crashing pipes and rushing water. "Do you have the Key?" It's Karliah shouting now. She checks her pockets. Yes, she nods. She has the Key. She looks back at Mercer. He's too far away for her to grab onto. She screams his name. Brynjolf pulls her to higher ground. The water rises higher. And higher. They're swimming now. She breaks away from Brynjolf and swims down toward the submerged Mercer. He looks so peaceful, floating like that. His hair fans out away from his face. He's beautiful. Then she's gasping for air as Brynjolf pulls her to the surface. There's no way out. Panic. They're going to drown. She's going to die with him in this sanctuary. She breathes a sigh of relief. At least she won't have to live without him. Then there's a path. Brynjolf drags her up and out of the water. She reaches for Mercer, screaming his name once more. Screaming for them to leave her in there with him. Then they're in a cave. She runs outside and screams his name…_

"Mercer!"

Kaiya sat straight up in her bed, once again startled awake from the sound of her own scream. She had the dream again. The pounding of her heart reverberated through her ears. Her night shirt stuck to her skin, soaked through from sweat. Her breathing was erratic as she gulped for air, trying her best to get her stubborn body to calm down. "I'm okay" she whispered to herself. "I'm in Riften. I'm in Honeyside. I'm… alone." The familiar routine did little to get her heart to slow. It was just like the first time all over again. The panic, the fear, the feeling that she would die if she couldn't get her breathing to return to normal. Unlike the first time however, she had learned ways in which she could deal with this.  _Breathe in_  she internally coached herself,  _breathe out. Breathe in, 2, 3, out, 2, 3._  She continued counting her breaths as she forced them to slow, her manual restart slowly convincing her heart rate to comply. The minutes passed as the routine continued, but Kaiya was finally able to get her panic under control.

"Just when I thought I had gotten over that," she chided as she whipped back the covers on her bed to stand, "and it's back. New and improved with added terror!" She hastily roamed around her bedroom as she searched for something, anything to change into from the sweaty night shirt she wore now. "We first brought you a fear of fire," she continued with her mocking advertisement, doing her best to sound like one of the merchants in the marketplace, "but now we bring you the agonizing horror of water! Enjoy the feeling of drowning!"

She stabbed her legs into the discarded trousers she found lying over one of the chairs in her home before flinging her drenched shirt off and onto the same chair. Deciding that a clean shirt might make her feel a bit better, she ripped open the door to her wardrobe and scanned the options that hung inside. "Gods, stop being so picky" she snapped at herself as she rifled through the available shirts. "You just have to make it across Riften."

She settled on an old undershirt that she used to wear under some of her more cumbersome armor and slung it over her head before heading straight for the door. "Well, I tried" she joked as she continued her conversation with herself. With a bang, she slammed the door to her home shut and began her late night trek across the city.

It was common to see people out mingling and talking around the city at all hours of the night. On occasion, the guards would have to step in to break up a fight or take down one of the thieves that tried their hand at larceny and failed dramatically. Tonight seemed to be no different as she could hear the sound of voices making their way to her from the marketplace. In order to avoid seeing anyone in her current state, she turned and made a beeline for the wall that surrounded the city, deciding to stay close to the edges of town. It was in this moment, when she turned her back to the marketplace and toward the wall, that she heard it. Mercer's voice.

In the thought of a moment, she whipped around and ran towards the center of town. It couldn't be him, could it? The closer she got, the clearer she could hear him. What had originally just been the low rumblings of his voice became words, and those words made it sound as though he was speaking to someone in secret.

"I need you to keep this quiet," she heard him say.

"Whatever you say," was the response.

"I mean it, you understand? I'm not supposed to be here."

Her pace quickened until she was sprinting over the wooden bridge that led towards the marketplace, her eyes frantically searching for the source of his voice. She knew she heard it. Was he alive? Was he in hiding? Her thoughts raced as quickly as her pulse as she began running to each conversation she could see nearby, pulling people apart so she could see their faces.

Not him. Not him. That's a woman. Where did that voice come from!?

She heard it again, closer this time and directly behind her.

"Kaiya?"

She froze in panic. He said her name. Slowly, inch by inch, she turned herself around to face the voice. She saw a man. He was wearing leathers. Not Guildmaster leathers though. That was weird, but if he were in disguise or trying to lay low, he wouldn't be dressed exactly the same, so maybe it wasn't that weird. Then he looked at her.

It wasn't him.

She felt the blood drain from her face as she stared back at a man she knew, but not the man she hoped to see.

"Kaiya?" he asked again, this time sounding much more like who it actually was and not who she thought it had been. "Are you OK?"

The question made her freeze again. What in the Oblivion had that just looked like? Her ripping through the marketplace in a frenzy, spinning people around all while wearing some old underclothes?

"I'm sorry Cynric," she explained to her fellow thief "I thought I heard something else."

"You thought you heard Mercer, didn't you?" he asked with no small amount of bluntness.

Kaiya exhaled a sigh as her shoulders sunk in embarrassment. "Maybe."

Cynric let out a small chuckle at her pitiful appearance. "Come on Kai," he said as he draped one arm over her shoulder. "Let's get you to bed so you can get some sleep."

Kaiya felt a nervous pit form in her stomach at the idea of Cynric taking her home and being anywhere near her bed. While she was confident he meant nothing salacious in his offer, Kaiya was still a long way off from thinking about men and beds together like she used to.

"It's okay, Cynric" she cooed as she gracefully spun out from underneath his arm. "I was actually heading down to the cistern to sleep."

"The cistern?" he asked as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why would you sleep in a sewer when you have your own house, Kai?"

Kaiya exhaled a laugh as those words in that voice sounded so familiar. Mercer had asked her almost the exact same thing. "Who knew the sound of water in pipes was so soothing?" she responded with a shrug. "My house is so quiet."

Cyric raised one brow in skepticism at her answer, but he let it slide. "Well all right, but promise me you'll get some sleep. You look exhausted."

"Are you saying I look bad, Cynric?" she joked in reply, comfortable and familiar with this type of banter. It was much better than the deep turn the conversation could have taken.

"Never," he crooned and with a wink, turned to leave. "I'll see you later, Kai."

When he was out of her line of sight, Kaiya let herself exhale the breath she had been holding. It was so hard to fake being all right in front of other guild members. She didn't want to talk about why she wasn't sleeping in her bed. She didn't want to talk about how she thought she saw Mercer, heard Mercer, everywhere. All she wanted was to be left alone, to hide away in her secret places where no one could find her and let the world keep turning without her in it. It was one of those secret places she planned to go now.

With a quietness only a thief could muster, Kaiya headed toward the Temple of Mara. Instead of going underneath the stone walkway that made its way around the temple as she would if she were going to the secret entrance to the cistern, she climbed up the stairs, took a left and picked the lock to the gate between the temple and the property next door. The property that just so happened to be Riftweald Manor. She turned and locked the gate behind her so she would leave no evidence of her late night break in before heading up the ramp to the door on the second level. With the key she was given by Vald what seemed like a lifetime ago, she let herself into the house.

It was dark inside the manor, seeing as no one was stationed there anymore. No more thugs. No more mercenaries. No more Mercer. Just Kaiya, alone with her thoughts. There had been occasions in the days since his death that she had ventured into other rooms of his house but those occasions were rare. Most of the time she found herself here she would head straight for his bedroom and would stay for hours. She read his books, drank his mead, ate his food, all while in the comfort of the chairs by his fireplace. On nights like tonight however, when she couldn't sleep without a nightmare, she would find her only solace in his bed.

Shucking off the trousers and undershirt she threw on for the walk, she climbed into his bed in only her smallclothes. It felt only right to do this, as clothes tended to get in the way of feeling the scratch of his blankets or the prickling of his furs. In the end however, she wasn't in his bed for the warmth or even the softness or anything even related to her comfort.

It was his smell.

This was the last place on Nirn where a part of him still lived and it made her feel like he was still here, right next to her. She inhaled deeply once she sank into the pillows and felt the relief it brought her. Water on stones. The smell that would always remind her of what it was like to be close to him, to be enveloped in him. Somehow, this habit she had been forming over the past few days had proven successful at tricking her brain into not replaying her nightmares for her. This was the only place she could sleep without waking up in terror, so night after night she found her way back into his house and back into his bed.

It wasn't a good enough trick to make herself forget what happened, however. As she lay there, night after night, his scent all around her and his blanket covering her, she was painfully aware that he was not with her. She was alone. It was in these moments that she would allow her walls to break and let the carefully put together facade she showed to the guild crash around her. The sorrow would always find her then, when she had no defenses left. She would let it overtake her, let it in. It was the only thing she could feel. The only thing she could think about. All day, every day, she tried to push through as though she was fine but every night, it all came out in sobs. She was not okay. She was not fine.

Tonight she had heard his voice. She had been so sure of it. That rumbling, deep sound that she had loved so much. This was beginning to become a problem. It was happening more and more frequently. She would be so sure that she had seen him or heard him, only to realize he was not there or it was not him. At first, she allowed herself to relish in those brief moments of hope when she truly believed it could be him right around that corner, right in the next room. The feeling was the only bright spot in her dark days and even though it hurt so much worse after she realized it wasn't him, she allowed herself the brief moments of peace. But she was becoming concerned. Every time she had one of these encounters, it was as if she had to relive his death all over again the moment she realized it wasn't him. Every time the cuts grew deeper, the hole grew infinitely harder to climb out of. She had to stop. She had to move on.

As the tears slid down her face and wet Mercer's pillow below her, she drifted closer to sleep. It was the only way she could reach it - sheer emotional exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my not-so-subtle way of commenting on how many characters share Mercer's voice actor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was only a matter of time before it showed up: the infamous inheritance letter.

_5th of Second Seed 4E203_

Riftweald did not have many windows, but the windows it did have allowed just enough light to pour in when the sun reached its apex that it would filter into his bedroom. It wasn't much, but the small slivers of sunlight would reach her face and slowly wake her, as if they didn't want to startle her from sleep. She was grateful for the slow start to her day; too many times had she woken in a panic only to realize that she was completely fine. Now she woke at her own pace, but she was met with the reality that she was miserable. Apparently any small blessing was only given if something was taken in return.

Her entire life had changed forever, but Kaiya still followed the same routines. Wake up, get dressed, go to the cistern, drink. Go through the same motions, wear the same leathers, go to the same places, talk to the same people. It added a surreal quality to it all, knowing her life was forever altered. How quickly life just reverts back to routine. It can only spin off track for so long before it must right itself. Reclaim balance.

It was this routine that brought her once again to the Ragged Flagon and as usual, sitting across a table from Delvin. He had been one of the only guild members who seemed to understand her need for space and that it wasn't all okay. Delvin didn't celebrate the death of his former Guildmaster. He wasn't happy with the outcome. He saw it as Kaiya did: a necessary ending to a horrible situation. This understanding is what brought her to him daily, even if there was nothing to talk about. They could just sit in silence and let each other be. It was comfortable.

The only time she was uncomfortable with Delvin was when he showed concern for her. The times he wanted to discuss something that had been worrying him or some behavior of hers he wanted to make sure was not harmful. To Kaiya's dismay, today seemed like another of those days.

"You slept in Riftweald again last night, didn' ya? I thought you were goin' to try to sleep in your own bed. It's not healthy, what you're doin'."

Kaiya tossed her head back to finish the contents of the tankard she had been sipping from before she could meet his eyes. "I did try, Delvin."

"What happened?" he asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "What do you mean you tried?"

"I tried" she reiterated. "I went to sleep there first, then I had the nightmare again. So I got out of bed and went to Riftweald." She paused and looked into her tankard before continuing. "It's the only place I can sleep without the dream, Delvin. I don't know why."

Delvin stayed quiet as he eyed her with brows drawn, deep in thought. He leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, a pattern of behavior Kaiya was familiar with. That's what he did when he was about to dole out some tough love.

"Don't you lie to me, love. You know why. Now tell ol' Delvin so I can help."

"It's his smell." Kaiya's voice was so small, Delvin had to lean forward to hear her better. "The bed smells like him. I think that's why."

"Hm," Delvin grunted, realizing the issue was probably more problematic than he had anticipated. "Well that ain't good. Why the lovesickness? Have you forgotten what he did?"

"No, I haven't forgotten." Kaiya admitted into her tankard. "But that's not the Mercer I miss. I miss the man I knew, the Mercer he was when he was alone. Not the Guildmaster that betrayed us. Not master thief or the man who was obsessed with wealth or even the power hungry dictator. I miss Mercer the man, the one trained with me and cracked jokes with me, that understood me. But I guess that wasn't Mercer after all, was it?"

"Yeah love, it was. You can't pick and choose."

"No, Delvin. That Mercer didn't exist. That's what I'm saying." Kaiya argued, her voice rising with her anger. "I fell for a lie. He was a liar, a betrayer and a murderer pretending to be this sassy, smart, witty, strong rogue and I fell for it. How dumb am I?"

"I hate to break it to ya love, but Mercer was everything you just mentioned. Rarely are people merely villains or heroes. It's not that simple. It's possible he was both the rogue you fell for and a betrayer." Delvin leaned forward as he spoke to reach for one of Kaiya's hands. She grabbed onto him and squeezed tight, his words ripping her open anew. "That's what makes it so confusing, love. It would be so much easier if he were just the witty, smart, sassy rogue or the liar, betrayer and murderer, but he was both. The Mercer you love did exist and you're not dumb for falling for him, but that wasn't all he was and you'll have to come to terms with that."

It sounded so obvious, what Delvin had just said, but it hit Kaiya square in the chest like a punch. Tears filled her eyes as she nodded at him, her lips pressing together to try to keep in the sobs. Her hand held onto Delvin's like it was all that was holding her to her chair. They sat in silence for a moment as he waited for the meaning of his words to sink in, but he couldn't bring himself to watch her cry without comforting her. "Oh come here, doll" he commanded as he pulled her to him, dragging her up out of her chair and pulling her into a hug. "I can't sit there and watch you hurt. If I could take it away for you, I would, love. But I can't."

"I know Delvin," she managed to force out between her tightly closed lips "you're a precious sweet roll, you know that?"

"Well if there's not a first time for everything" he barked out as he laughed. "I've never been called that before."

Kaiya squeezed Delvin tighter before she finally released him, straightening his leathers as she pulled away. "Thank you," she said with renewed calm. "You're right. I'll figure this all out one day Delvin, I promise."

"And until you do," he smiled as he put a finger under her chin, lifting her face to look him in the eye "you have me to figure it out for ya."

Kaiya returned his smile in earnest before turning to go. While her conversations with Delvin were not always easy, she never walked away from one feeling worse than she did before. He had a way of giving her truth without hurting her that she truly respected. Before she could make her exit from the table however, an amped Brynjolf made his way into the cistern and commanded everyone's attention.

"There you are, Kaiya!" he boomed over the clinking of bottles and stormed over to where she stood. "We need to talk about you taking over the leadership of the guild."

Kaiya rolled her eyes and sighed. "Brynjolf, we talked about this on the way back from Irkngthand. I'm not ready for this."

"You are more ready than you realize," Brynjolf interjected. "You are perfect for this, Kai."

"Really? Have you taken a look at me recently, Brynjolf?" she asked as she held her arms out to the side. "Does this look like a woman that needs to be a leader of anything, much less an entire guild?"

His eyes darted around her disheveled appearance before landing back on her face. "I don't see your point, lass."

"I'm a godsdamned mess, Bryn" she whined, dropping her arms to her sides. "I can't sleep. I haven't been able to eat. I'm so close to insanity I could trip and fall into it at this point. I am struggling to lead my own life right now. I can't lead a guild."

"Didn't you say that Mercer told you he thought you should be in charge?" Brynjolf argued although Kaiya's wince at the mention of Mercer's name gave him pause. He knew that was a low blow, but he needed her to see reason.

"Mercer also thought it was a good idea to leave me for dead and rob us blind, if you remember correctly," Kaiya retorted. "And could we please leave him out of this?"

"Look lass," Brynjolf pleaded "I'm sorry I brought him up. I just…" he paused and ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he tried to find the words to say. "I just need you to step up and I am trying to find a way to make you understand how bad we need you. How right you are for this job."

Kaiya's eyes grew wide at his honest admission. "Wow, you really mean that, don't you?" she asked with a smirk. "Why the hurry though, Brynjolf? I still don't understand why you want me for this job but if it is to be me, why the rush? Why can't it be on my terms?"

"Maven's been pushing me-"

"Oh sweet Sithis, are you serious?" Kaiya interrupted as she ran both hands through her hair in exasperation. "Please tell me we're not still going to let Maven run our lives after all this."

"See Kai, that's exactly why you're right for this job" Delvin spoke up, standing to join his fellow guild members in their plotting. "You have what it takes to stand up to the ol' sabre cat. As much as I love Brynjolf, he's a tad easier to manipulate. No offense, Bryn." He reached out and placed a hand on the Nord's shoulder as he spoke, not wanting to cause any more problems.

"He's right," Brynjolf agreed. "Standing up to Maven is not something I see myself capable of doing but you…" he laughed as he shook his head, loose strands of red hair falling into his eyes. "Let's just say that if the way you took on Karliah is any indication, you'll be fine."

"Aye," Delvin nodded in agreement. "I second that."

Kaiya took a moment to think on the points her guild brothers had brought up before she continued. She found it all endearing, if not annoying. It was great that they respected her as much as they did, but she still needed more time. She was not ready for leadership yet, there was no way around that.

"I love you both, you know that?" she smiled as she eyed them, both staring back at her with admiration. "But if I'm going to take the reins then we're going to do it on my terms." Brynjolf began beaming back at her, celebrating a bit too early as he usually did. "I will step into the role when I'm ready, but it's foolish to do it too soon. Until then," she tilted her head so she could glare up at Brynjolf, "you hold it down Bryn. Tell Maven we're handling it and it's not her damn business anyway. And by that, I mean tell her that we've chosen a leadership structure but that we are ensuring that we handle it with tact and respect as to not cause a disturbance in any guild business. That'll shut her up."

"Genius," Brynjolf breathed. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Kaiya rolled her eyes in response before turning to leave. Before she was out of earshot, she turned to shout over her shoulder at the two remaining thieves. "Now don't ask me again, you two!"

"Yes ma'am!" Brynjolf called out with excitement, causing Kaiya to roll her eyes once more as she pushed through the doors to the cistern and made her way out the secret entrance. Leave it to Brynjolf to be so excited with his misplaced faith.

With newfound resolve from her conversation with Delvin, Kaiya decided she would try her hand at sleeping in her own bed again that night. Traversing through the alleyways and streets of Riften, she trudged along towards her house. While she loved her guild brothers, she found that being around them and trying to keep up the pretense of being normal wore her out. She tired much quicker and needed more alone time than ever. Just as she approached the door to her home for her sweet solitude however, she was stopped once more.

"Ma'am?"

Kaiya let out a sigh as she gazed upwards, trying to find her patience. "Yes?" she asked as she turned to face whoever wanted her attention. When her eyes came to rest on the courier standing nervously before her, a familiar pit formed in her stomach. She had been dreading this.

"I've got two letters for you," he explained with caution, sensing her building tension. "Two letters and a lot of gold. Something about it being your inheritance?" He gulped in nervousness before continuing at a rapid pace, his words flowing into one as he forced the conversation to an end. "Oh, and sorry for your loss."

Kaiya stared at the letters in her hand as the courier made his escape. One was very familiar, the seal of the Jarl of Riften marking it as an obvious inheritance letter, one she had read countless times before. The other was unusual to Kaiya. The parchment used was one she didn't recognize and the seal was new to her as well. Using the light from the nearby torches, Kaiya squinted to see the symbol on the seal.

It was a shadowmark. Her eyes grew wide and her pulse quickened at the revelation. What could this possibly be? In a panic, Kaiya ripped open the seal to peer at the contents of the letter, tears forming in her eyes as they scanned the page.

The hand that had written the words left a scrawl Kaiya knew well but that wasn't what made Kaiya cover her mouth to keep in a sob as she stood under the dancing torchlight. The bottom of the letter was signed by a name that would be imprinted on Kaiya's heart forever.

One step ahead,

Mercer Frey

She took off running toward the other side of Riften, gripping the parchment in her hand. There would be no sleeping in her bed tonight. She would start being healthy tomorrow. Tonight she would read this letter again and again in the light from the fire at Riftweald Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Delvin's lesson for Kaiya on "people are more than one thing" comes from an episode of Doctor Who ("A Town Called Mercy"). I have to admit, for it to be such a simple lesson, this one changed my world and became a bit of a mantra of mine. I can't blame Kaiya for not thinking of Mercer that way; it's crazy how our brains force us into thinking people are just one thing.


	4. Chapter 4

_6th of Second Seed 4E203_

_Mercer walks into the room and wakes the sleeping Kaiya who is laying on her stomach in his bed. Mercer takes a sharp inhale of breath at the sight before him and it makes her smile. He's here. She looks over her shoulder at him as he stands by the door with his mouth open. He begins taking off his boots in a hurry then his fingers go to work on his leather cuirass. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asks in his deep, rumbling voice. Kaiya shivers at the sound. "You've just been working so hard, I wanted to do something nice for you" she croons over her shoulder as her wild, blonde mane tumbles down her naked back. "You weren't here so I took the liberty of letting myself in." In a flash, Mercer is on her, straddling her hips as she lays flat on her stomach and stretches her arms out in front of her. "And my guards? Have they seen you like this?" he says in a husky voice into her ear, releasing another shiver from her. She shoots a look over her shoulder at the thief lumbering over her. "Of course not," she says as she reaches up to his shirt collar, pulling him down to reach her, "this is just for you, Guildmaster." With a grunt, he kisses her fervently before letting his lips trail down her neck and back as she returns to laying flat. "Well in that case, I guess I should repay the favor" he says as his fingers begin massaging her sore back. He works lower and lower as she moans in response before he reaches the top of the blanket that she has pulled up over her hips. "Mind if I pull this down?" he asks in a voice so low Kaiya feels it as much as she hears it. "Go for it," Kaiya teases back. He pulls it down, revealing her bare ass and lets out another groan. "You're going to be the death of me, woman" he jokes as he resumes his position atop her. He leans forward and places a kiss between her shoulder blades, causing chills to run through Kaiya's skin. As a reflex, she arches her back which presses her naked ass directly into the bulge of Mercer's leathers. He grunts. "Careful," he warns as he leans over to speak in her ear "keep that up and you'll wake the dragon." Kaiya snickers. "I can't help it! It's a reflex!" Another giggle. "Oh really?" Mercer drawls out. "A reflex to what? This?" He places another kiss between her shoulder blades, causing the same response from her. "Or this?" Another kiss, further up her back. Another arch from her. "Or this?" Another kiss, this time on her neck. "Yes!" Kaiya giggles as each kiss gives her shivers that force her to arch her back, once again putting her ass in direct contact with Mercer's growing bulge. He grunts again. "I can't believe you told me this so freely," he jokes as he continues his kisses. "Well maybe I want to wake the dragon, Mercer" Kaiya flirts back and shoots a licentious look over her shoulder at him. He smiles back wickedly, his green eyes dancing in the torchlight. "Is that so?" he asks, his voice husky and raw. "Maybe," she answers with a shrug, "depends on what will happen if I do." Mercer leans forward so he can speak directly into her ear, wanting more of her shivers and writhing that come with his voice. "It means that I'll take you right here, just like this." She feels his heart beating where his chest presses against her back. "Mm," she hums her approval. "Yes, that's what I want." She presses her ass into his leathers once again, this time completely unprovoked. Another grunt. "Well you can't say I didn't warn you" he rumbles into her ear as she hears one of her favorite sounds in the world, the sound of the buckles on his trousers being unclasped…_

Kaiya's eyes popped open as she woke with a start from her latest dream, alone in Riftweald Manor. Her breathing was heavy and her heart pounded, but it was not from panic this time. She laid on her stomach with her arms stretched forward, just as she had been in her dream moments before.

"Well that's new" she whispered to herself in the dark. As she looked around the room to gain her bearings, she remembered where she was. The light had begun to filter through the high windows, signaling to Kaiya that it was morning, although much earlier than she would have liked.

This wasn't new to her - waking up earlier than she'd like because of a dream. What was new, however, was the content of the dream this time. While it was a memory like usual, her unconscious had rarely, if ever, given her the opportunity to relive a good memory. And as sexually active as she had always been, she had never had an erotic rendezvous in her sleep quite like that before. An ache she hadn't felt in weeks begged for her attention between her legs at the memory.

"Well I guess my sex drive isn't dead after all," she chuckled to herself as she rolled onto her back. "I guess it's just the man who can get it going that's dead." As the thought of Mercer entered her mind, she felt her heart speed up and a throb between her legs. "Really?" she chastised her body for responding the way it did. "Oh this is just unhealthy."

She could chide herself as much as she wanted, but the ache was not going away. Her options ran through her mind as to how she could relieve herself from this new problem, but none of the solutions worked for her. No man, no. It would be a while before she could do that. A woman? She usually didn't dabble much with the ladies, but she'd never been one to say no if the mood struck her either. But no, a woman didn't feel right. No one did.

"Well I guess it's me and you again, righty" she joked to her right hand as it slid below the covers. "Just like old times."

Before she let her mind wander to anything dark or depressing as she knew it would if she didn't concentrate, she forced herself to think of the dream she had just had. That was safe. It was a memory. She thought of the way the stubble from his unshaven face tickled her back when he pressed kisses there. She let her mind roam over his face as he looked when he hovered over her, his green eyes hooded with lust. She thought of the feel of his rough hands on her naked back and the way his leathers felt on her bare ass. The way his hair felt as it brushed over her skin. The feel of his chest pressing into her back. His smell. Yes, yes this was working. Her fingers brushed over the thin fabric of her small clothes before moving the fabric aside and…

"What the Oblivion do you think you're doing here?!"

With a yelp, Kaiya scrambled to right herself in the large bed and ended up crashing unceremoniously onto the floor. She pulled the blankets down over her as she made the effort to cover herself on the wooden planks, the scene presenting a frantic mess to the woman who waited with her arms crossed by the doorway. When Kaiya was finally able to stand, she covered her important bits with the green blanket from the bed and did her best to stand with a posture that showed she wasn't ashamed of what had just transpired. She was too proud for that. Then her eyes met those of the woman who stood before her, impatience oozing from her stance.

"Well hey Maven," Kaiya joked to try to break the tension. "If I had known I was expecting company I would have tidied up a bit or I don't know, put on a shirt."

Maven's stare did not waver from the disheveled Breton as she spoke. "Since you so rudely ignored my question the first time, I will ask you once more. What the Oblivion do you think you're doing here?"

"I was uh…" Kaiya gulped and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "I was looking after the place to prevent looters." She nodded as she spoke, clearly impressed with herself.

"Right," Maven's brows snapped together, her gaze leveled. "Well this is private property, MY private property, and you are officially trespassing."

"Right well," Kaiya looked around for her things that were strewn across the bedroom. "Well now that someone else is here to take care of the place I guess I can leave. Just give me a second to get dressed…"

"Unfortunately for you, I can't do that. I have a broker outside this room that is interested in buying the house." Maven spoke in barbs, her every word nearly making Kaiya wince. "If he sees that someone has been staying here while it was vacant, it'll cause the value to drop seeing as though the security measures I've lauded as a feature of the house are not that effective."

"You're selling the house?!" Kaiya's brows shot straight up at the news.

"Yes, not that it's any of your business."

"I'll buy it." Kaiya spat before Maven could finish her sentence. Her eyes were wide, silently pleading.

"Is that so?" Maven asked with condescension as she leaned into her hip. She had just taken the upper hand in the conversation and while Kaiya knew that, she didn't care. She wanted the house. "Well I'm sorry, but it's not for sale."

"What?! But you just said-"

"Let me rephrase," Maven interjected. "It's not for sale... for you."

"Why's that? My money's the same as anyone else's." Kaiya argued, her knuckles beginning to whiten at the grip she held on the blanket.

Maven let out a patronizing chuckle as she shook her head. "Oh honey, it's not just about money. When will you learn that? Everything has its role to play, is a pawn in the game," she chuckled again. "I would never sell this house, this rare Riften property, for something as mundane as money."

"Whatever," Kaiya sighed in defeat. "Well if it's any consolation, O Harvester of Souls, I didn't break into this house. I was given a key."

"Oh yes," Maven replied with a smirk. "You were Mercer's little plaything, were you not? And look at you here, sleeping in his bed. How quaint."

"Right." Kaiya did her best to tamp down her rising temper. It wasn't worth it. "Well I know you've got to get back to Coldharbour so I won't waste any more of your time. Those mortals aren't going to enslave themselves!"

As Kaiya scuffled around the room to gather her belongings, Maven's eyes never left her. In fact, they were the only part of her body to move at all, following Kaiya's movements as the rest of her remained deathly still. With one last glare in Maven's direction, Kaiya turned to leave through the bedroom door.

"I can't let you do that, remember?" Maven spoke dryly. "My potential buyer is right outside."

"Bite me" Kaiya tossed over her shoulder as she blatantly disregarded Maven's orders. She heard Maven gasp in surprise behind her at the audacity of her insubordination which brought Kaiya her first real smile of the day. Nothing made her happier than getting a rise out of Maven Black-Briar.

As she scuffled through the house to leave, she realized there was no buyer outside the room or anywhere in the house. It had all been farce just to get under Kaiya's skin. "What a bitch," she mumbled under her breath as she forced her way through Riften and past the shocked expressions of passers-by towards her home.

* * *

"Did you get a letter too, Kai?"

Vex approached Kaiya as soon as she entered the cistern from the secret entrance, not wasting a single moment in which they could discuss the latest developments. Kaiya felt herself wince at the question as the letter Vex referenced had effectively ripped open her barely scarred over wounds.

"Yes, it was delivered last night by a courier." Kaiya stated plainly as the two thieves walked briskly toward the Guildmaster's desk where the rest of the guild's leadership waited. Vex shot a quick nod at Brynjolf to answer the question that had been hanging in the air all morning. Kaiya had indeed received a letter, just as they presumed.

"What did it say, lass?" Brynjolf asked as soon as Kaiya was in earshot. "That is, if you want to share." He added on at the end as an afterthought, realizing that it could have been a very personal message.

"I'll let you read it," Kaiya conceded and handed over the folded parchment to the redhead. It was apparent from the deep creases that crossed over the letter that it had been read many times since being received. Brynjolf's keen eye also did not miss the streaks across the paper that signified it had been hit with a tear or two, but he dare not mention his observation.

"Do you mind if I read it out loud?" he asked her in a hushed voice, giving her the opportunity to say no privately.

"No," she relented with a sigh. "Go ahead, Bryn."

He cleared his throat before beginning as Delvin and Vex waited nervously to hear the contents.

"Footpad," he started before shooting one last questioning look at Kaiya. "Wait, Footpad? What's that mean?"

"It was what he called me," Kaiya explained with a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "It started out as a derogatory term but towards the end he used it more as a term of endearment."

Brynjolf's lips curled into a sad smile in response, his pity for the brokenhearted Kaiya showing through his down turned brows. In order to spare her from having more attention brought to her, he continued.

"Footpad,

If you're reading this, then that means I've met my end. I hope it was a worthy death of a Guildmaster and that I didn't just stumble into the canal but either way, I am dead. I'll pause for you to mourn me sufficiently."

"Well that was morbid." Vex exclaimed, a crease forming in her brow. Kaiya let out a small chuckle at the dark humor of it all, causing Delvin and Vex to shoot her a look of worry. She merely shook her head at them as she smiled, signaling all was fine for them to continue.

"Now that that's over with, we have business to attend to. I have sent letters like these to the Guild and to Maven to let them know that I have chosen you to take my place as Guildmaster. I know, you don't think you can do it. You think Brynjolf would be better suited. You don't want to be in charge. I hope even though I'm dead and cold somewhere when you read this that you can still feel the eyeroll I'm giving at your excuses."

Brynjolf's eyes glanced over the top of the parchment to take in Kaiya's response as he read. Her face was red in embarrassment but a smile was present in the corners of her eyes. Apparently this all sounded just like Mercer to her, although it was completely different from the other letter received by the Guild. Brynjolf caught himself shaking his head as a small laugh escaped him. Leave it to Mercer to still surprise him, to still have his secrets even after he thought they had discovered them all by now.

"You're the person for the job, Footpad. Brynjolf is great at what he does, but he could never stand up to Maven like you could. The Guild cannot be controlled by her anymore and you are the only one that can break them free. You must do this, Kaiya. If you care about the Guild as much as I know you do, you must lead them through this."

At this, Kaiya's eyes began to overflow with the tears that she had been fighting since Brynjolf began reading. Her jaw was tense and aching with the building pressure as she tried to force them back, but it was to no avail. They flowed freely, streaking down her red face.

"Be strong. Take care of yourself. Tell Vekel I said to give you a drink. Be easy on the new recruits. Remember your footing and for the gods' sake, don't run away. You need your family as much as they need you."

Kaiya was no longer the only one crying. Brynjolf's voice cracked as he continued to read, his resolve shaky at best. Delvin's eyes shimmered with the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks and even Vex's jaw tightened and clenched as she fought back the emotion. Kaiya covered her mouth with one hand as her eyes slammed shut, staving off the sobs that tried to force their way out.

"And he signed it 'one step ahead, Mercer'" Brynjolf explained as he finished the letter. "Oh wait, there's a P.S."

"Go on," Delvin urged.

Brynjolf and Kaiya shared a laugh as their eyes met, both knowing what was coming. "P.S. Do the right thing, Kaiya. Don't make me haunt your ass."

Kaiya and Brynjolf let out a few broken chuckles at Mercer's final command before Vex and Delvin joined in. It was a chorus of broken laughter, complete with sniffles and sighs that come from tears. The four thieves found themselves pulling each other into a huddle, the closest they could get to a group hug while still maintaining their sinister reputations. Silver eyes relayed their heartfelt camaraderie as smiles combated the sorrow that hung in the air. It was a moment Kaiya would remember forever as a sense of belonging washed over her and her embrace of her fellow thieves.

She finally had a family.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiya finally takes up the mantle of Guildmaster, but all is not well.

_6th of Second Seed 4E203_

Once again, Kaiya was alone. Since Riftweald Manor had effectively been taken off of her list of possible places to hide, she had relented to her reason and decided to spend the night in her own home. She couldn't hide from this forever. While her solitary melancholy was an old friend by now, there was one feeling she had that was a complete surprise to her.

Kaiya was sexually frustrated.

It had been weeks since her last sexual encounter with Mercer in the Braidwood Inn and it had been just as long since she had felt a single urge. For a woman like Kaiya, several weeks was a lifetime to go without any form of release but yet the concept had felt almost disrespectful to her. Until this morning.

She had been interrupted during her first attempt at taming the beast that was beginning to wake inside her once more and it had not gone away throughout the entire day. Images from her dream had popped into her head in the most inconvenient of times, causing her to squeeze her legs together to try to make it stop. She had work to do, she couldn't be distracted like that.

But now… now she was alone and that ache was making itself known with a vengeance.

Relenting to her body's need, she decided that she would just finish what she started this morning. The idea of taking another lover still made her skin crawl, but her own hand didn't give her any aversion. She called out for Iona to ensure that her housecarl did not choose this night to come back to Honeyside. Kaiya wasn't sure why she continued to do this as the Nord had not appeared in her home since Kaiya had scared her away the night of her meltdown, but yet she habitually checked every time she was home. No Iona. No one was here. Blissful solitude.

Kaiya removed her leathers and crawled into bed in her small clothes, dragging the green blanket she had worn home from Riftweald Manor earlier in the day with her. She may be in her own home, but she was far from healthy. The scent of Mercer consumed her as she breathed it in from the blanket and just as she hoped, it was as if he was there with her.

Her hand wandered down under the blankets as her mind replayed some of her favorite scenes from her dream and a few from other encounters that she usually tried not to dwell on. She thought of the way he gazed at her with hunger the night in the Bee and Barb, the way the torchlight cast shadows over his face and made his eyes shine like emeralds as he smiled. She remembered the way his body felt as it loomed over her and pressed her into the wall, the tension sparking between them like a spell. Her heart began to pound as she relived the way she felt that night, the suspense and the game building her anticipation until she felt she couldn't stand it anymore. She ran her hand over the soaked fabric of her smallclothes as her need grew with the memory, her skin tingling with sensitivity as every nerve ending fired off at the contact. As she dipped her hand under the fabric to finally touch her aching need, she heard herself gasp aloud in the small room. Her fingers became drenched as she slid them around her folds, her tension growing in her tight muscles. The memories kept coming as her fingers danced along, purposefully avoiding the bud of nerves that called out for her attention. She thought of the first time in this house when he laid her down below him on this very bed and slowly pulled apart her black robes as he kissed down her flushed body. She began to shake at the memory of how he looked up at her from between her legs, his arched brows full of licentious promise. She finally allowed herself to touch the small bundle of nerves that cried out to her, painful in its need for contact. As soon as fingers pressed onto it, she cried out a moan and arched her back off the bed. This is exactly what she needed. Her fingers began to move faster and faster as the memories continued. His lips on her throat. His hands on her hips. The filthy things he whispered in her ear as she would break away from reality and get closer and closer to her release. That voice. That godsdamned voice. She could still hear it as if it were rumbling in her ear as her fingers worked below the covers, telling her what he intended to do to her. As she approached her climax, she felt herself writhing around on her bed, her hips pumping up and down of their own free will. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes clenched tightly shut. She allowed herself to say his name as if a prayer, out to the Void. No one would know. She did it again, louder this time. Her fingers moved faster. She was almost there. "Mercer…" she moaned in ecstasy as she approached the precipice…

"Kaiya…"

Her entire body froze at the sound of her name and her eyes flew open to look around. It was dark, but she could see well enough to identify an intruder if there was one. Her gaze scanned the open space before looking for any movement, any sign of life, but there was none. She was imagining it again, because as hard as she would love to deny it, it was Mercer's voice that had spoken.

She laid back on her pillow with a forced exhale, her soaked fingers no longer working her to release but instead gripping the edge of the blanket for stability. "Get a grip, Kai" she chided herself in the dark.

Three loud bangs to her front door made her gasp in shock, her entire body prickling with the adrenaline that the surprise pushed through her. "Kaiya!" someone on the other side of the door called out. "Kaiya, answer the door!"

"Well that at least explains hearing my name," Kaiya groaned as she tore back the covers to her bed and began her search for her leathers, "so that's good."

"Kaiya!" the shouting was more desperate now.

"For Sithis' sake, I'm coming!" she called out to the late night visitor. When she had sufficiently covered herself with her leathers, she flung the door open to see a wide eyed Rune standing on the other side.

"Is there a dragon terrorizing Riften, Rune?! What in the Oblivion is going on?"

"You need to come to the cistern. Maven is there. She's furious about the letter from Mercer and is torturing Brynjolf" Rune answered in broken sentences as he tried to catch his breath.

"Wait, actually torturing Brynjolf or metaphorically?" Kaiya asked seriously as she grabbed her pack and stepped outside her house, shutting the door behind her.

"What?" Rune asked as if the question did not register with him. "She's not really torturing him, if that's what you're asking. But she might as well be. She's relentless!" They began to jog towards the secret entrance of the cistern as they spoke.

"Tell me about it," Kaiya mumbled under her breath, her anger rising with every step. Their boots pounded into the planks below them as they ran, creating a rhythm for her heart to match. This was not the time for Maven to pull her usual stunts. Kaiya was exhausted, brokenhearted, pissed off and now she had a heaping pile of sexual frustration to add to the mix.

Rune lifted the grate that led into the cistern so that Kaiya could make her way down the ladder first. As soon as she stepped off the last rung, she could hear Maven. Her brows shot up in surprise at the display of emotion from the matriarch. She never showed emotion like this. She was like death itself: cold, distant, removed and motionless. Kaiya began to jog towards the sound.

"I don't give a good godsdamn what Mercer's letter said!" Maven shrieked in Brynjolf's face, leaning in close enough that he was forced to lean back. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face drawn and serious. Maven looked like a madwoman, her cheeks flush and her posture rigid as she jabbed a bony finger into Brynjolf's chest. "I said I choose you as Guildmaster and my word is final!"

The familiar burn of anger coursed through every inch of Kaiya's veins as she comprehended what was happening. She forced herself not to increase her pace and instead, take on a walk of control. That's how she would win this fight. Shoulders back, chin up, eyes on the prey.

Maven was too entrenched in her own tirade to notice the approaching Breton. "I own you, Brynjolf, don't forget that! This Guild would be nothing without me, NOTHING!" Brynjolf stood silent and strong against the gale force winds of Maven's anger.

When it was time for him to speak, he spoke with an eerie calm. "I told you Maven, the decision has been made. It's out of my hands."

Kaiya felt her eyes roll at his back pedaling. She hated to admit it, but she was beginning to see Mercer's point about Brynjolf not being able to stand up to Maven. It looked like it was going to have to be her after all.

"And who has been chosen?! I can tell you are lying! I will not allow this Guild to go without a leader!" Maven cried as her pitch went higher. "And where is this leader, huh?! Where is your Guildmaster now, Brynjolf!?"

"RIGHT HERE, MAVEN!"

Kaiya thundered her cry from halfway across the cistern, the echo resounding behind her words and bouncing them around the cavernous room. With her hands in fists at her sides, she stormed forward, quickly eating up the distance between them. Maven did her best to hide her shock and to put her impassive mask back in place, but it was too late. Kaiya had seen what lies beneath.

Kaiya did not stop her march until she was mere inches away from Maven, her manic eyes boring into Maven's panicked ones. She leaned forward, pressing herself into the matriarch's personal space in a show of dominance.

"You called for me?" Kaiya asked calmly while a wicked smile took shape on her face. "Well here I am."

Maven scrambled to keep her cool in place but her darting eyes gave her away. She was not ready for this turn of events. Even so, she did what she did best: took the upper hand as if it were her birthright.

"And who gave you permission to call yourself Guildmaster, thief?" she spat out the last word with condescension, showing how little she thought of the term.

"No, see" Kaiya shook her head with a laugh "I don't need permission, Maven. I have the support of my Guild, that's all a leader needs."

"Ha, so naive" Maven mocked as she rolled her eyes. "How little you know about the ways of the world, child. Just because you fucked the former Guildmaster doesn't mean you know how to run his organization."

Kaiya let her lips curl back into her most menacing grin. "See Maven, there's a fundamental part of all this that you aren't grasping. In case I haven't been clear enough, I'll state it as plainly as I can. We're not fighting about this. I owe you nothing. You do not own me or my Guild. You have no say, no authority, you can exert over us. Do I make myself clear?"

The thrill of saying this to Maven Black-Briar sparked through Kaiya's veins and she could almost feel it resound through those that had gathered around to watch. As the crowd of leather-clad thieves behind her grew, so did Kaiya's resolve. This was it, the moment she had hoped would come for so long, when they would finally cut Maven off like a vestigial organ.

"You are nothing without me," Maven spat in retaliation. "I can crush the Guild with as much as a single word to the Jarl. I have influence over all nine provinces. I can make it so you never sell another stolen good in Skyrim again. Oh and don't forget I have the Dark Brotherhood at my disposal should I choose to take you out if you left me with no other option." Maven grinned with malice at her threat but she didn't have her heart in it. Her confidence wavered with the growing smirk of the Breton she threatened.

"Maven," Kaiya leaned forward, so close their noses touched for a moment. "Don't you see? You have nothing left to threaten me with. Nothing. You have nothing you could blackmail me with like you did Mercer. You could talk to the Jarl? You have influence? I'm a Thane in all nine provinces. I have my own connections all over Skyrim."

Kaiya paused and smiled, letting her words thus far sink in to the shriveling woman before her. "As for your threat to call on the Dark Brotherhood? Have you heard from Astrid lately? Oh, surprised I knew her name? It's because I'm the one who killed her after she betrayed the family. Why? Because she didn't like the fact that I was the Listener." Maven's eyes grew wide enough that Kaiya could see the whites all the way around her hazel irises. "So good luck calling the Brotherhood without having to go through me, Maven."

To add dramatic effect, of which Kaiya was always a supporter, she turned to leave before acting as though she remembered something else and returned to the conversation. "Oh, and in case that wasn't enough, how about this? I'm the godsdamned Dragonborn, Maven." Kaiya watched as Maven had to grab onto the Guildmaster's desk in order to keep from falling as her knees buckled. "That's right. So like I said, you have nothing and I mean absolutely nothing you could threaten me with. The days of you treating the Guild like your own personal gang of thugs is over."

Maven took a moment to compose herself, her anger and fear showing themselves in her trembling hands. Not to be outdone so easily, she pushed back into Kaiya's face for one more threat. "This is in no way over, Footpad." She purposely called Kaiya by her pet name from Mercer, showing the Breton just how much she could learn about someone she considered a target. Kaiya's brows shot up with surprise at the name, but she did her best not to let it affect her. Or to let it show that it did. "We are not done. This is not over."

"Whatever, Maven" Kaiya scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Perhaps it's not over but we're definitely done for now, so get the fuck out of my cistern."

Kaiya took a step back to watch the beauty of this moment with her Guild. Maven stood in shock after being dismissed from a Guild she thought she controlled only to realize her power left the moment Mercer did. She looked around, taking in each face of the thieves that stood at Kaiya's back, recognizing the resolve and faith each of them had in their new Guildmaster. Maven had lost.

In a display of meekness Kaiya thought impossible for the woman, Maven quietly turned and walked towards the exit. The thieves watched in silence as she took her walk of shame until she was no longer in their sight. As soon as she stepped through the doors to the Flagon, the cistern erupted in cheers. Kaiya grinned. These were so her kind of people.

And just as a smile began to take shape on her face, she heard a sound that made her heart thud hard against her ribcage. It was so subtle she knew no one else would hear it, even if it wasn't just in her imagination. The low, soft chuckle of approval from her former Guildmaster.

* * *

After a few rounds in the Flagon to celebrate the new freedom of the Guild, Kaiya decided it was time to head home. She stumbled out of the secret entrance into the graveyard with the grace of a mammoth, one too many tankards of mead greatly affecting her balance. As the sounds of the clinking of bottles and clamoring of the thieves began to fade, Kaiya was left alone in the quiet that came with the early hours of the morning. This was the quiet that usually threatened to bring her dark memories to the surface, but tonight she had too much mead in her system to worry about that. She clunked towards her house, deciding to stay along the edge of the city throughout her trek. The large, stone wall that circled Riften provided a service to her throughout this walk, catching her shoulder when she stumbled and helped to put her back on her feet. When she approached the backyard of Riftweald Manor however, her dampened judgment got the better of her and she had what seemed, at least at the time, to be a great idea.

She was going to loot the Manor.

As soon as the idea crept into her mind, she had decided on it. Her clumsy steps brought her inside the gate and to the door that entered onto the second floor of the mansion. With a small snicker to herself, she opened the door with the key she still kept on her and let herself in.

The house looked exactly as it had earlier in the day when she had been so rudely interrupted by the matriarch herself. The reminder of how her time here had ended sent a fresh wave of irritation through her veins but she couldn't dwell on it for long. She had a job she intended to do here. Her eyes landed on the doorway to Mercer's former bedroom with purpose and she drunkenly stumbled her way across the wooden planks of the second story to get there.

As soon as she crossed the threshold into his bedroom she let herself breathe in his smell. Yes, that's what she was here for. More of that. With as much speed as she could muster in her drunken state, Kaiya began pulling the room apart. She was not looking for anything of value that she could sell to a fence for profit, but she had her eye on items that had sentimental value. Books, blankets, goblets, clothing hanging in the wardrobes, anything that reminded her of her time with the rogue who had once called this place home. If it smelled like him, it was tucked into her bag. If he had worn it at any period in his past, it found a new home with her in her belongings. Books she knew he read were stuffed alongside his linens and the parchment he had written on was folded carefully to come along as well. She raided the barrels, shelves, chests and even the spaces under the bed and between the cracks in his furniture, ensuring she got everything she could fit in her leathers and bag.

She did not stop with just his bedroom either. No space in this house was safe from her pilfering fingers. Rugs, cutlery, statues and wall adornments were all expertly removed from their current perches to be added to her new collection. When she had finished her raid, she found that she did not have room to carry everything she wanted. Her bag overflowed with fabrics and the clanking of cups could be heard with each step she took. The pockets on her leathers were filled to the point they could not be closed and she still had her arms full with a few tapestries and rugs.

"Oh well," she shrugged to herself, having decided that nothing was being left behind. "Guess I'll take my chances."

With some creative maneuvering, she was able to free one of her hands long enough to open the door that led back out into the manor's backyard. With this same hand, she was able to awkwardly do her best at casting an invisibility spell to at least get her past the guards at the city gates unnoticed. She moved as quickly as she was able, stumbling over some of the fabric that dragged on the ground before her, but she had not been noticed.

Still, even though Kaiya knew she was moving unseen through the city, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. And followed. She shot a quick look over her shoulder only to see that no one was behind her. Nothing was waiting in the shadows. In the thought of a moment, she decided against using a shout or spell to try to detect what living beings were around her, knowing it would cause her invisibility to fall. She just needed to get home quickly.

Her hands trembled as they removed her keys from one of her guild pockets, the sound making her heart pound in fear that she would be caught. Even as clumsy as she was in this moment however, she was still a professional. She managed to open the door to Honeyside with no small amount of awkwardness before letting it slam shut behind her. Before doing anything else, she fastened the lock shut on the door. No one had followed her in.

She dropped all of her newly acquired goods on the floor directly in front of her bed and began sorting through it immediately. The rugs were laid carefully out on the floor of her home, some of which even taking up residence down below near the enchanting table. Her own clothing was pushed aside in her wardrobe to make room for Mercer's, hoping that his smell would stay clinging to the fabric even amongst new roommates. A statue of Dibella she had found was propped up on one of her night stands, a small chuckle forcing its way through her lips at the thought of Mercer owning anything that resembled a religious relic. One by one, each stolen good and pilfered item found a new home with her in Honeyside. Before long, the floor was cleared and all evidence of her larceny was completely hidden.

With a smile of congratulations to herself, she flopped down onto her bed and laid on her back, her eyes on the ceiling. Her clumsy fingers grasped and dragged her new favorite green blanket on top of her to stave off some of the chill as let her mind wander, but it didn't go far. She was so tired. There was no energy to think or finish what she had started earlier. She didn't even have the energy to remove her leathers. Slowly, she let her tired eyes drift closed and in the small amount of peace she was able to glean from this moment, she fell asleep.

"KAIYA!"

"Ugh," she thought to herself as her consciousness came creeping back, "why can't my dreams ever let me sleep?"

"KAIYA!"

"Oh no," she whispered out loud to the empty room as her eyes popped open, "that's not a dream."

She had just been woken up to the world from a deep sleep and was disoriented and trying to gain her bearings, but there were a few things of which she was certain. The voice was not Mercer's and therefore could not be a hallucination. The banging on her door that threatened to cave in the front of her home also was not a common occurrence in her hallucinations. The thundering voice that accompanied the violent knocker was also one she recognized who had never showed up like this before, so she knew this had to be really happening.

With a groan she ripped off the green blanket and took a wobbly stand, her head swimming a bit in the last grips of the drunkenness. She was grateful for the wobbliness however, because that meant she did not yet have the inevitable headache. As the pounding on her door continued, Kaiya shuffled herself to open it as quickly as she could manage. With one swift motion, she slung it open and before her stood exactly who she had expected.

"Sapphire?" Kaiya croaked out with a voice that made it clear she had been in the throes of sleep. "What's the matter?"

"You need to come to the cistern," Sapphire pleaded with wide eyes, panic causing her voice to tremble. "Now."

"Yeah, okay" Kaiya nodded as she stepped out the door to her home and let it shut behind her. "What's going on? You have to give me something, Saph. You're making me freak out."

Sapphire paused in her hasty retreat towards the graveyard and turned, her eyes boring into Kaiya's with a purpose. "Karliah's back."

"Is that it?" Kaiya retorted with irritation. "I could just see her in the morning, Saph."

"No Kaiya," Sapphire shook her head as her eyes continued to stare into her Guildmaster's with panic. "She has big news and she won't tell anyone about it until you're there."

Sapphire then took a gulp of air that made Kaiya freeze. This was more than just nervousness about waking the irritable new Guildmaster in the predawn hours. There was a panic in her eyes, a shakiness in her voice, that Kaiya had missed at first. She felt her heart thud erratically in her chest as she took in the jittery woman before her.

"Sapphire," Kaiya spoke with caution, the same way one would speak to a frightened animal. They had both stopped walking and faced each other now with trepidation. Sapphire reached out to grab onto Kaiya's arm, hoping to pull her so they could get on their way. Kaiya stayed firmly planted where she stood. She needed answers now. "What news?"

Sapphire gulped again and her eyes darted around their surroundings, almost as if she were looking for a way out. With a deep breath to gain her resolve, she spoke.

"It's about Mercer." Sapphire's eyes drilled into Kaiya's to stress the importance of what she was about to say.

"We may have made a huge mistake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me I'm not the only one that gets a kick out of the statue of Dibella in his house.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guild finds out the truth of the betrayal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever read [ The Nightingales Vol. 2? ](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:The_Nightingales_Vol._2) If not, you may want to. That's where I get a lot of this lore from.

_7th of Second Seed 4E203_

Suddenly, Kaiya was in the cistern. She knew she hadn't just appeared there, but she could remember nothing of her journey. The last she remembered, Sapphire had mentioned "Mercer" and "mistake" and the next thing she knew, she was standing behind the Guildmaster's desk with the rest of the Guild's leadership. There was a hand on her shoulder, bracing her to stand. This was all the evidence she needed to know she looked at least a fraction of as panicked as she felt. Her heart threatened to break free from its cage with its violent pounding. Her whole body trembled with anxiety, yet nothing had happened. Here they stood, all facing the lone Dunmer who looked back at them with equal measures worry and fear, yet not a word had been spoken.

"If you don't start talking soon, Kaiya's going to erupt." Brynjolf spoke, his words grazing past Kaiya's ear. He must be the one with his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, please" Vex cut in, "tell us already so we can start feeding her drinks."

Karliah's eyes cautiously took in each thief before her before they settled on the floor, unable to linger on Kaiya's frazzled form for long. "Maybe she should sit down.."

"Just say it!" Kaiya snapped, her eyes open as wide as they could go.

"Okay, fine" Karliah relented, her gaze once again locking onto the floor. "I'll start from the beginning."

She paused and the tension vibrated through the waiting thieves with their every breath, yet no one dared to speak lest they disrupt Karliah's attention.

"When I went to the Twilight Sepulcher to return the Skeleton Key," she spoke meekly, the thieves leaning in to pick up her soft words, "I had a conversation with Gallus." At this, she looked up, finally braving the eager glares from her fellow guild members.

"After he got over the initial shock that I was still alive, he asked me why I was there. I explained that I was returning the Key that Mercer Frey had stolen. He was not surprised by that. He asked what became of Mercer. I told him that Mercer was dead." She paused again, taking a deep breath through her nose to steady her nerves.

"Then he asked what became of Maven Black-Briar."

"Maven!?" Delvin jumped in now, surprise reverberating throughout him. "He barely knew Maven. Why did he…."

"Because Maven was the one behind it all." Karliah stated plainly, her posture straightening to do its best to reinforce her failing confidence.

At once, the thieves shot glances around to each other, no one brave enough to speak their thoughts aloud.

"I asked him to explain," Karliah continued, her voice wavering. "He said that he had caught on to Mercer's exploits but after doing some digging, he was able to uncover that Mercer had been doing Maven's bidding. And that while Mercer's actions were atrocious, they were nothing more than those of a thrall."

Silence fell over the crowd of thieves as Karliah's words found purchase in their understanding. "It can't be…" Brynjolf muttered. "Why wouldn't he have told us?"

"I asked the same thing," Karliah answered. "But Gallus told me that it was not his place to know as there was no way he could remember everything that had happened. He said that if I could retrieve his journal, more answers would be there."

"His journal!" Kaiya shrieked, startling everyone around her. "Did you get it back from Enthir?! What's it say?"

"I did," Karliah nodded as she spoke and pulled out a tattered brown journal from her pack. "And Gallus was right. There were more answers."

"Well don't just stand there, love" Delvin urged "tell us what it says!"

Karliah opened the journal and began scanning through it, not reading it, but taking the opportunity to let her eyes rest on anything except for the thieves. "It starts with his suspicions of Mercer's actions. How he caught Mercer creeping around by the vaults one night and that he was spending an exorbitant amount of coin. He goes on to say that Mercer's attitude toward him began to sour, treating him as though his intentions with me were less than honorable."

"His intentions toward you?" Brynjolf asked in disbelief. "Mercer thought that Gallus's intentions toward you and your relationship weren't good?"

"Yes," Karliah answered, her voice taking on a much meeker quality than it had before. "Gallus learned that Mercer knew a very important bit of information about me that I wasn't even aware of back then, and he guessed that this information was why Mercer was suspicious, so he let it slide."

"And what information is this?" Kaiya asked bluntly. "No more secrets, Karliah."

Karliah's eyes swept up off the page of the journal she held and met Kaiya's. Kaiya felt her breathing catch in her throat at the emotion that poured out of her glare, the glistening violet as her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm the granddaughter of Queen Barenziah," Karliah admitted. "I would have a bid for the throne of Morrowind."

Shocked silence bounced around the leaders of the Guild at Karliah's confession. Gallus wasn't wrong, that was some pretty important information.

"So Gallus found out that Mercer knew about your ancestry," Delvin thought out loud, trying to make sense of it all, "and figured that's why Mercer had been so skeptical about his intentions with you. He thought that Mercer assumed he wasn't interested in you and was instead after the throne."

"Yes," Karliah answered. "But there's more. Gallus goes on to describe Mercer's overprotective nature of me in detail. How Mercer always offered to go on heists with me so I wasn't alone and made sure my jobs were safe."

"So where's Maven come into all this?" Vex spat out with her arms crossed over her chest. "This is sweet and all, but it doesn't explain why he did what he did."

"The journal goes on to explain that as Mercer's attitude toward him got worse, he learned that Mercer had been spending quite a bit of time with a new woman in town, Maven Black-Briar." Karliah explained and watched as all the thieves' brows shot up at this admission. "He then was able to put enough evidence together that he deduced that Maven was manipulating Mercer. He warned Mercer to be careful with Maven, but Mercer of course responded 'she said you'd say that!' just like a manipulated man would."

A laugh burst forth from Delvin at this, shocking his fellow thieves with his inappropriate response. "No wonder he was so scared of you, love" he directed his statement towards Kaiya. "The last time he had trusted a woman it was Maven bloody Black-Briar."

"Anyway," Karliah continued, growing tired of the interruptions. "This is when Gallus started noticing some of the money had begun to go missing. Mercer's behavior was sketchy at best, the coffers were being skimmed and suspiciously enough, a certain Black-Briar family was beginning to grow very wealthy."

"Gross," Vex groaned. "Bad form, Mercer."

"He couldn't figure out how Mercer was getting into the vaults, though" Karliah went on. "He finally let himself come to the conclusion that Mercer had stolen the Skeleton Key, the one he had sworn to protect. Knowing better than to confront Mercer, Gallus decided that he would first confront Maven, which did not go well. Then, the journal ends with Gallus planning to meet Mercer at Snow Veil Sanctum."

At this, the thieves fell silent once more. Whether it be in reverence or in shock from the reminder that this wasn't just an entertaining story, it didn't matter. The silence permeated through the space until Brynjolf finally decided to break it.

"So Mercer was manipulated by Maven all along. Doesn't make him innocent, though."

"No, it doesn't" Vex snapped. "So what? Maven's backstabbing, power hungry bitch that convinced Mercer to do some dumb shit. Doesn't mean he's innocent."

"I think you're missing a very important element to this, Vex" Karliah interjected. "Mercer was manipulated into thinking that Gallus was a threat to me. He wasn't doing all of this just for riches and to earn the love of a new woman, he was doing this to try to bring Gallus down in an attempt to protect me."

"Because he loved you," Kaiya said flatly, her eyes on the ground.

"No," Karliah argued, shaking her head. "Because he had loved my mother."

"What?!" Kaiya's head snapped up Karliah's words. "What are you talking about!?"

Karliah sighed with impatience. "That's also in Gallus's journal, but I didn't think it important to bring up. Yes, Mercer had a relationship with my mother, Dralsi, who had also been in the Guild. When I joined later, she made Mercer promise that he would take care of me and that is what he tried to do."

Silence.

"Don't you see?!" Karliah exclaimed, her hands flying in the air in exasperation. "Mercer looked after me and was manipulated by Maven into thinking that Gallus was only after me for my crown when all along, she was the one with plans to gain control of me. If Maven got Gallus out of the way and was able to make Mercer her puppet Guildmaster, then she would have full control over the heir to the throne of Morrowind. Who knows what she could've done with that type of opportunity!"

A memory flashed into Kaiya's mind as Karliah explained the sick motives behind the matron.  _She collects people in powerful positions._ That's what Mercer had said about Maven. A chill worked its way through Kaiya's nerves, bringing a shudder out of her at the thought. At the time Kaiya had assumed he only meant thanes or stewards or Jarls, not Morrowind royalty.

"Why wouldn't he have told us this, though?" Vex asked. "I get what you're saying, but why wouldn't he have told us?"

"When, exactly, would have been a good time for that, love?" Delvin asked in response. "After he killed Gallus when he realized he had been duped? When Karliah was on the run from us? What could he have done? It seems clear to me that Mercer did what he felt he had to after he realized the mistake he had made. Maven was after Karliah. With Karliah on the run, she was safe. With Karliah returning to the Guild, she would forever be in danger as long as Maven was still around."

"Not to mention the blackmail she had on him after he killed Gallus," Brynjolf agreed, his eyes growing wide with his understanding. "She owned him after that. All she had to do was threaten to tell his little secrets to his Guild and he would have done whatever she asked."

"Well if he's such a hero," Vex spat with as much disdain in the word 'hero' as she could muster, "then why didn't he just confess to the Guild and take the consequences?"

"Think about it, Vex" Delvin answered in his calmest tone. "Do you remember how we told you we searched for Karliah for years after the death of Gallus? With Mercer leading the charge, he could make sure he kept everyone off her trail. With someone else in charge, Karliah would be in much more danger with the pressure from Maven to find her. With Mercer in charge, he could convince Maven that he was trying as hard as he could to prevent her from hiring her own thugs but he could also protect Karliah the best he could. Keeping her on the run was for her own good."

At this, sniffling could be heard coming from the Dunmer. She was crying. "He tried to tell me," Karliah confessed, sobs cracking her voice. "He tried to tell me this last time in Snow Veil Sanctum when he was with Kaiya, but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to listen to a thing he said."

"It's okay," Brynjolf cooed as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You thought he was a betrayer."

"I'm still confused," Vex cut in, disregarding Karliah's emotional moment. "When Karliah came back into the picture, why did he flee then? Why didn't he just tell us?"

"Because he realized I wouldn't stop" Karliah sobbed. "He knew I wasn't intending to just go my own way and be free like he had hoped. He knew I would not give up until I had my revenge."

"So he fled?" Vex scoffed. "Coward."

"No, not coward," Delvin corrected. "Leader. He sacrificed himself so that we could be free of Maven once and for all. He knew that was the only way out. If he stayed in charge, Maven would always be a threat. If he was out of the picture, Maven would have no one else to manipulate. Why else do you think he pushed so hard to have Kaiya put in as Guildmaster? She was the only one that could stand up to Maven. Finally, someone was powerful enough to rid the Guild of Maven's influence."

"So why'd he cut out with the Key then? Why didn't he just leave it in his nightstand or something?" Vex asked, still skeptical.

"Because we had to hunt him," Karliah explained. "He needed to die. That was the only way to save the Guild."

"His redemption," Kaiya whispered under her breath but her fellow thieves heard her loud and clear. "That's why he kept telling me it had to be that way. He knew I would never have stepped up as Guildmaster had he lived. He knew that was the only way for all of us to move on. For me to move on."

Tears flowed in streams down Kaiya's face at the revelation. "Well so much for the healing process," she joked as she sobbed. "This is it, the final straw that pushes me straight into crazy." Delvin draped an arm around her shoulders as the news continued to jab into her with each new revelation.

"I'm not finished," Karliah stated calmly, her eyes on Kaiya's broken frame.

"Oh great!" Kaiya laughed as she continued to sob, "I don't know if I can take anymore Karliah. I just found out that I personally killed the only man I ever loved for crimes he committed to keep the Guild safe. To protect us. He is floating in that damn sanctuary right now because of my actions!"

"But that's the thing," Karliah cut in with excitement in her voice. "He's not there."

Silence. Stunned glances. Shaky knees.

"What did you just say?" Kaiya managed to croak out. "Where is he, Karliah?"

"I don't know," Karliah admitted. "After I spoke with Gallus and got the journal back from Enthir, I decided to go to the sanctuary to pay my respects. If I could manage, I was going to try to pull him out so we could give him a proper burial. That's the least I could do."

"Go on…" Delvin urged as all four members of the Guild's leadership leaned forward towards Karliah to hear what she had to say next.

"He wasn't there." Karliah said again, her eyes staring into her companions'. "Did you actually check to see if he was dead, Kaiya?"

"No, but I watched him fade." Kaiya spoke cautiously, her words clipped with tension. "What are you saying, Karliah?"

"I'm saying there is a possibility that he made it out alive."

The next thing Kaiya knew, she was being picked up off of the damp, stone floor of the cistern. There were a few distant voices asking if she was okay, but she did not care to answer them. All she could think about was getting home to pack.  _Mercer could be alive._ The thought pounded in her head like a warhammer, knocking all other thoughts to the side.  _Mercer could be alive._  She had to go find him.

"I have to go," she managed to force out as she ran for the exit. A few cries rang out behind her to wait or to stay, but she disregarded them with ease.  _Mercer could be alive._  There was only one thought that her mind had room for.  _Mercer could be alive._  Nothing else mattered.  _Mercer could be alive._  She had to find him.

The distance between the graveyard and her home blurred as she ran as fast as her legs would take her. The cool, early morning air stung at her lungs as she heaved heavy gulps to keep her going. Tears crept out the corners of her eyes and flew behind her, whether from the cold or the emotion she did not know. Finally, she reached her home and tore open the front door with a strength she didn't know she had. She grabbed her pack and raced toward her bedroom, slinging whatever she could find into it. Potions, books, weapons, it didn't matter. She had to go.  _Mercer could be alive_.

"Insatiable, are we?"

His voice. Behind her. Her heart stopped. It couldn't be. This was another of her brain's cruel tricks.

"How did I know the first place you would look for me would be in your bedroom, Footpad?"


	7. Chapter 7

_7th of Second Seed 4E203_

_This isn't real_.

Kaiya tried to coax herself back over the line into sanity.  _This has happened before and he is never there_. She had really lost it this time, just as she thought she would. So this was it, what it felt like to lose touch with reality. There was no way the voice behind her was really Mercer. Too many times had she been fooled by her hallucinations. It had never been him before, what made her think it would be him now?

Inch by inch, she slowly turned to face where the voice had come from. She was terrified to face the disappointment she would feel when he was not standing in her bedroom, but she had to see for herself. She kept her eyes closed tightly until she had turned completely around and once she was confident she faced the direction the voice had come from, she took a deep breath and decided it was time to look.

Her left eye opened first. She could see a dark figure standing in the shadows cast by the sconces in her home. The shock that came with actually seeing something as opposed to the nothing she expected caused her to snap her other eye open wide to take it all in.

And it was Mercer.

There he stood, only a few steps away from her. She blinked. He looked the same as he always did, his dark Guildmaster leathers fitting snugly to his lithe form as his arms crossed over his broad chest. His dark hair was brushed back so that it didn't get in his eyes.  _His eyes_. They were staring back at her, just as they always had, once again the green shining out in contrast to the rest of his shadow. Familiar crinkles at the corners made her heart speed up its rhythm.  _He was smiling_. Well, not smiling, but his oh so familiar smirk was firmly in place. It was exactly as she had envisioned him when she reminisced over the past few weeks, which gave her all the more reason to question her judgment.

Instead of running and jumping into his arms as she had imagined herself doing if this moment were to ever happen, she approached him with caution. It was as if she feared that if she were to move too quickly, the apparition would fade. His eyes stayed on her as she approached, the endearing smirk growing more amused at her hesitance. She needed to touch him. That's how she would know.

A trembling hand reached up with a life of its own to graze his face. At the contact, she jumped. She had not expected a solid form! Her surprise brought a chuckle out of Mercer, the sound causing Kaiya to close her eyes for a moment to relish in it. She brought her hand back to his face and let her nervous fingers trace along the lines of his cheek. The stubble that pricked at her fingertips brought a small smile into view on her face. It was just as she remembered.

Her fingers continued, brushing over his jaw and around to this chin before landing on his lips. She stared at them intensely, her brows drawn in so tight that she appeared almost angry. Mercer let her continue her exploration but could no longer stand still. He ran his fingers through her wild, blonde mane and let them rest on the nape of her neck, holding her in place. She continued to skim her fingers along his mouth, becoming transfixed on the scar that ran across his lower lip. It was the exact same as it had been, the way it looked, the way it felt. There was no way her hallucination could be this detailed.

Her eyes traced upward until they met his. Tears had begun to form in hers, distorting her vision, yet she could still see him. His eyes, they were so real. In them she saw so much yearning, so much pain, so much tenderness. This could not be an apparition. An apparition would never look at her like that.

"Mercer! It's you!" she exclaimed, breaking the silence that had hung between them during her exploration. In an instant, she leaped up to wrap her arms around his neck in an embrace that felt much more fitting of their reunion. Mercer's arms wrapped tightly around her in response, holding her to him in a grip that caused breathing to become slightly difficult for the tiny Breton. He buried his face into her neck and breathed her in before letting out a chuckle at her reaction.

"Well yeah, it's me" he joked "were you expecting someone else?"

"I didn't think you were real" she admitted as she let herself cry into his shoulder. "I still haven't completely decided if it's you or if I'm just crazy but if this is a dream, then sweet Sithis please let this be the one that takes me."

Mercer exhaled a laugh into her hair. "It's really me, Footpad. I'm not a ghost."

"I didn't think you were a ghost!" Kaiya exclaimed. "I thought you were a hallucination! I've been going crazy Mercer. I thought I saw you everywhere, heard you everywhere."

Mercer relented and let his smile take over his entire face at her admission. "Well it's me now." He set her back on her feet and pulled back slightly to show her the necklace he wore. "See? This is the amulet you gave me. It saved my life, Footpad."

Kaiya let one hand trail over the chain and the pendant that hung around Mercer's neck, recognizing it as the necklace she hooked around his neck right before the moment she had assumed was his death. "And to think, I said it was a useless enchantment when you first gave it to me."

"Who knew waterbreathing was so essential?" Mercer joked as he rested his forehead against hers, letting himself be present in the moment. Kaiya entwined her fingers behind Mercer's neck as they stood in silence, each grinning with smiles that took up their faces.

Suddenly however, Kaiya decided it was time for retribution. In an instant, she went from one half of an emotional embrace to the force behind a slap across Mercer's cheek. It wasn't a hard slap, but it was enough to snap Mercer out of his blissful happiness and back into the reality of what it meant to be around Kaiya.

"What in the Oblivion, Kaiya?" he shrieked as one of his hands touched his face where her hand had just been.

"That's for leaving me alone!" Kaiya cried out, a finger pointing in Mercer's confused face. "And not telling me what was going on! We could've figured another way you stubborn ass!" She was screaming now, tears escaping out of the corners of her eyes.

Mercer reacted quickly, catching both of Kaiya's flailing hands in his and holding them to his chest. "I know, Footpad. I know. I guess I deserved that."

"Yes you deserved it! Do you have any idea how hard the past few weeks have been!?" She continued her tirade but now that she had no free hands to swing around to let out her anger, she was forced to rely on the tears that streamed down her red cheeks. She let her forehead fall onto his chest in exasperation. "I had to live knowing I had killed you! Knowing that floating around in that godsdamned sanctuary was the only man I've ever loved!"

He was quiet for a moment and just let her get it all out. He knew he couldn't fight back. This was an inevitable conversation he had expected upon his return to Riften. Once her crying slowed and her arguing ceased, he felt her grow limp against him. She was done. He took a finger and lifted her chin so that she looked directly into his eyes.

"Loved, huh?"

"Yes, you idiot!" Kaiya jerked one hand away and smacked him on the chest.

"Is that loved as in the past or is that still the case?"

Kaiya exhaled an annoyed sigh at his line of questioning. Of course out of everything she said in her rant he would focus on that one word. "As in it's still the case, you ass! Now let's forget I said that okay? I need to keep my upper hand with you."

A smile broke out across Mercer's face as he watched her cheeks redden with embarrassment when she looked away. Once again, he used his fingers under her chin to bring her gaze back up to meet his. "Feeling's mutual, Footpad." His smile grew even wider as he watched her eyes widen at his confession. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it."

Kaiya's lips curled up to match Mercer's grin as they stared at each other. "It'll be our little secret." And with that, she lifted up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

Oh, how she had missed this. Nothing else could ever compare. She could feel him smiling against her lips as her hands tangled in his messy, dark hair. Once her fingers were combing through it, she realized it was slightly longer than it had been the last time she had done this. His arms wrapped around her and hoisted her up against him, her feet no longer touching the ground. "You still have to say you're sorry," she declared with a smile once his kisses had begun trailing down her jaw and neck. He stopped abruptly and lifted his head so their eyes met once more, his forehead pressing into hers.

"I know that I could've done better," he admitted. "You don't have to worry about anything like that ever happening again."

"And…" she urged, not able to keep the smile from her voice.

"And I'm sorry," he apologized with earnest. "But trust me when I tell you I paid for it."

"Oh I know you did," she giggled as her face dropped into the crook of his neck. She began laying kisses of her own onto his jaw. With deliberate slowness, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed herself into the bulge in his trousers. "Who wouldn't have missed all this?"

"Shadows preserve me," he exhaled as a prayer. "Please tell me that we've sufficiently made up because I won't be able to hold myself back for much longer if you continue doing that."

"What, this?" she asked in her most innocent voice as she rubbed herself up and down the growing bulge in his pants once more.

He groaned in response and let his head fall back to stare at the ceiling. "Yes, that!"

"Oh so you want me to stop?" she teased as she nipped his earlobe with her teeth.

"No," he grunted. "I want you to say 'enough of this unnecessary chatter, please take me Mercer.'"

"Is that so?" she continued to tease him, her fingers raking through his hair. He groaned in frustration, causing her to grin against his cheek. "Fine, I relent" she crooned in her most seductive voice into his ear. "Please take me, Mercer."

"Oh thank the gods" he cried out while simultaneously carrying her toward her bed. "See, was that so hard?"

"No, but I hope you are!"

"Don't you worry about that," he growled, his voice husky with lust.

She laughed freely, her grin stretching wide on her face. Bending at the waist, he laid her down underneath him and crawled to hover over her. He began kissing down her neck, sloppy and urgent, as if his eagerness could no longer be subdued. Her grin stayed planted on her face, aching her cheeks with its unfamiliarity. How long had it been since she last smiled like that?

His long fingers made quick work of the clasps on her leather cuirass, his mouth still busy planting kisses on any skin he could find. Her hands found their way into his hair, combing it away from his face. She needed to see his face as he did this, needed to know his urgency was genuine. A giggle formed its way out of her chest at his drawn brows, furrowed in concentration as he worked on the complicated fasteners that held her guild cuirass closed. The leather armor may be sufficient for what it was intended for, but it was a nightmare in situations like this. When he finished unhooking the last of the clasps, she sat up so he could pull it free, tossing it without a care across the room. In an instant he was back on her, his hands roaming around her body and under her thin, linen shirt in practiced, comfortable movements. Her heart ached at the familiarity his hands had with her body. How could there ever be anyone else for her?

Then out of nowhere, he stalled. His hands stopped roaming and his kisses ceased finding bare skin, but his eyes wandered around the room like he was seeing it for the first time.

"What is it?" she asked, trepidation clear in the tremor of her voice. "Is something wrong?"

He pulled back to his knees as his eyes scanned the room before landing on her with confusion. She felt her pulse quicken at his absence, fearing what this pause said about what was happening between them. Was this too soon? Was he having doubts? Second thoughts? Did he no longer want this? Her doubts faded but her nervousness remained as the flash of a grin took shape on his face, his eyes lighting with mischief.

"This blanket sure seems familiar." Uh oh. A hot blush crept up her neck in guilt. "Kai, did you rob my house?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Recommendation: "To Be Where You Are" by The Rigs

_7th of Second Seed 4E203_

Kaiya wasn't sure what caused the change, but the mood between them had definitely shifted. The lighthearted, playful banter was gone and in its place was a need, a yearning that went much deeper than their individual cravings for pleasure. They now found themselves taking their time, appreciating the other and not rushing towards release. A sense of closeness permeated the space between them, the moment becoming much more intimate than anything they had ever encountered before.

One at a time, Kaiya unclasped the fastenings on Mercer's Guildmaster cuirass. As her fingers worked on each clasp, Mercer's eyes were trained on her face, taking in her every feature. She laid on her back beneath him, her hair fanning out over the pillow. Propping himself up with one hand, he used the other to cradle her head as she worked, his fingers splayed behind her ear while his thumb stroked her cheek.

Once his cuirass was hanging open, Kaiya let her hands trail up and down his chest over his thin undershirt as her eyes met his. With a smile that came mostly from his eyes, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, letting his need to be close with her pour into his kiss. Her hands made their way around his neck and back into his hair, holding him firmly to her. Without breaking apart from their kiss, Mercer managed to discard his cuirass and slung it somewhere across the room. As quickly as he had shed his leathers, his hands were back on her, one grabbing onto her hip and the other returning to cradle her face.

Kaiya brought her shoulders up off the bed so that she could kiss his shoulder and let one hand roam around his back. Dipping her fingers under the fabric of his undershirt, she pulled it up to signal that she was ready to have it gone. He complied, pinching the neck and pulling it up and over his head. Once again, he returned quickly to hover over Kaiya. He kissed her again, this time letting much more passion pour into it as his tongue brushed hers and she opened for him to take control.

Her hands roamed over his naked chest as they kissed, her fingers committing his every feature to memory. This moment was one she would relive over and over so she had to make sure she had every detail right. She knew his body so well, the way his muscles contracted under her eager fingers, the light dusting of hair of his chest and his every scar. It was this familiarity that caused her to pause their kiss to investigate when she hit a smooth, raised slash that stretched across both pectorals. It was definitely a new scar, still pink from healing. Her fingers trailed along its length, spanning his entire chest. Whatever did this to him undoubtedly hurt badly, seeing its size and placement. It looked like a sword had swiped across in one smooth… oh.  _Oh_. Her shoulders drooped at the realization. It had been her sword that put this scar on his chest.

"Hey, don't do that."

He spoke so softly that for a moment, she was unsure if he had spoken at all. His interruption worked though, pulling her attention to his gaze and holding it there. She expected harshness or even pain in his expression, but his eyes were so soft in how they looked at her while his thumb slowly grazed back and forth across her cheek that it caused the air to leave her lungs in a gasp.

"Remorse has no place here between us. You did nothing wrong."

"But I did this to you Mercer," she admitted with a sad sigh, her eyes following her fingers as they continued to brush up and down the length of the scar. "I hurt you."

"No," he argued, grasping one of her hands in his. While keeping his eyes locked on hers, he brought her hand to his chest and placed her palm against his skin, holding it there so she could feel his heartbeat. "This is what you did to me. You feel that? That's what you did. Forget the scar."

It suddenly became so clear to her. She felt her eyes well up with tears as she nodded in agreement. They couldn't let what happened get in the way of this moment or they would never be able to move past it. This moment was their apology, their forgiveness, their confession and their vow. This was their redemption and the beginning of their healing. This moment was bringing them back to life.

The epiphany surged through her and she pushed off the bed to catch his lips with hers in another kiss, her hands once again tangled in his hair and traversing down his back and around his shoulders. He continued to brace himself on one arm as he leaned forward on his knees, but his other arm wrapped around her, holding her to him as their kiss deepened. She spread her legs open wider and reached down to grab the top of his trousers in a not so subtle signal that she was ready. He understood as he always did and laid her back down, allowing her to feel his smile against her lips. Kaiya was never one to be shy about what she wanted but tonight, Mercer was adamant to stay in charge. With one hand, he worked on the ties that held her trousers in place. If she was ready, hers would be the first to go, of that he was uncompromising. When the laces were untied, he pushed himself up to his knees and slowly worked the leather down her legs before tossing them somewhere else in the room.

She now laid before him in nothing but her small clothes but he did not intend on letting them stay on for long. He swatted her hands away from the ties to his trousers before collapsing back on top of her. Propping himself up on his elbows while his fingers raked through her hair, he allowed himself a moment to just look at her. He took her all in: the blonde mane that surrounded her like a halo, the way she looked up at him with her big, blue eyes, seeing through his every disguise in a way no on else ever had. He drug his thumb across her bottom lip and leaned down to press his lips to hers. When she writhed underneath him, a clear signal that she wanted to do more than kiss, he took control.

"I'm taking it slow, Footpad" he commanded, his brows arching to show he meant business. "Let me have this, okay?"

"Is this your way of saying you missed me?" she teased, a smile back in her voice.

"You could say that," he said with a laugh. "Now hush and let me take care of you, woman!"

Kaiya only smiled in return. No other response was necessary. She knew Mercer would never be one for flowery emotional displays, but this was as close as she'd ever seen him get. He had missed her, she knew that. He was showing it to her now. Once again, she was reminded of why they always worked so well together. She knew how to read between the lines and he knew how to give her exactly what she was looking for in his own way.

He began making his way down her body, starting at her jaw and kissing a fiery trail down her neck and collarbone. When he reached her breast band, he pulled it down to release one of her breasts before taking it into his mouth. She arched her back in response as she moaned, her hands finding a grip in his hair. His tongue moved in circles around her sensitive nipple and the stimulation sent shockwaves throughout her body. "Mercer…" she sighed out to him as his free hand found its way to her other breast. He pulled down that side of the breast band as well before circling the pink, aching nipple with his thumb. She sighed his name once more as she felt his teeth nip at one nipple while his hand pinched the other.

The sound of his name on her lips made him smile. "That's it, Footpad" he encouraged as he breathed onto her wet flesh, bringing out a shiver that made its way through her body. As he took in the sight of her in bliss, he couldn't help himself and had to kiss her again. His hand continued to squeeze and massage her breast, which made her arch into him as he hovered over her face.

"That's it," he whispered between kisses as her body rolled and writhed beneath him. Her damp smallclothes began to soak his trousers where she pressed into him, desperate for some friction. As if in an answer to her body's pleas, he let his hand trail down her stomach, leaving a trail of shivers with his fingertips. Once his hand reached her smallclothes, he stopped, bringing a whine out of the needy Breton.

"Is this what you want?" he growled into her ear as his hand dipped below the fabric covering her, teasing her with one finger at her entrance.

"That's a start!" she cried, her voice breathy and desperate with want.

He grinned down at her, meeting her eyes and conveying his approval of her current needy state. Without another word, he plunged one long finger directly into her wetness. Kaiya arched back and gasped at the sudden welcome invasion, surprised he didn't make her beg him first.

"More, please" she exhaled directly into Mercer's ear. He gave her what she wanted, adding a second finger along with the first and slowly pulsing them in an out. When this elicited the noises he wanted, he changed it up, curling his fingers inside her. His eyes stayed trained on her face when he let his palm grind into her clit in slow circles as his fingers continued to plunge. He knew she loved it when he did that. Eyes wide, she grabbed onto either side of Mercer's face and pulled him into a desperate kiss.

He kissed her passionately now, letting his tongue plunge into her much as his fingers did below. She loved it, opening up to him in every way possible. Her hands grasped at his hair and chest as her hips rocked and pumped up and down with his efforts. It wouldn't be long before she toppled blissfully over the edge into her release but just as she was nearing the precipice, he stopped.

"What the?" she breathed in protest, her chest heaving up and down to keep up with her erratic breathing.

"Shh," he reprimanded her. "I decided I wanted you to come on my tongue."

In one swift motion, he pushed himself up from his position next to Kaiya and planted himself on his knees at the foot of the bed, between her legs. He gave her the most licentious grin he could muster before he pulled off the soaking small clothes that still hung on between her legs. He took the opportunity to remove her breast band as well so that she laid before him completely naked.

"Shadows take me," he swore as he took in the sight of her naked and flushed before him. "No matter how many times I tried to imagine this, I never did you justice."

Kaiya felt her lips curl into a smile as she bit her bottom lip, her hooded gaze roaming over his bare chest. "Ditto."

"You imagined this?" he asked as he knelt between her legs, bringing his face so close to her wetness that she could feel his breaths on her. She sat up and propped herself on her elbows for a better view of what he was about to do, not wanting to miss a moment of it. He looked up at her from this position, a wicked grin taking hold of his features.

"Yes," she admitted breathlessly. "This exact moment actually. But like you said, I did not do it justice."

Without another word, Mercer flicked out his tongue and grazed the small bundle of nerves that had been begging for his attention. Kaiya let out a moan as her head rolled back, causing her to crash into the pillows. He took this as encouragement to continue and let his tongue flick back and forth over her bud before plunging into her. His eyes did not leave her as he continued, the urge to see every reaction of hers keeping him trained on her face. With one hand, Mercer reached up to play with one of her breasts as he had been before. This made Kaiya moan again, her hands found their way to his hair to hold him in place. Seeing as she thoroughly enjoyed the multitasking, Mercer decided to try something else. As his mouth locked onto her clit, he inserted one of his long fingers into her. Then two.

"Oh dear sweet Sithis, yes" Kaiya called out as she arched her back, holding onto Mercer's head for stability.

Mercer stopped for a moment and looked up at her with a smirk. "Give credit where credit's due, Footpad," he joked. "It's not Sithis down here doing this."

"MERCER FREY godsdammit I'll call you whatever you want if you keep doing what you were doing," she exclaimed in one breath, each word running into the other as if they were in a hurry.

"That's more like it" he said with a grin before giving in to her demands. His mouth returned to her clit while his fingers continued to make the 'come hither' motion inside of her. In no time, her entire body vibrated with the tension of an impending orgasm.

"That's it," he encouraged between circles of his talented tongue. "Come for me, Kaiya."

At the sound of her name in his deep, husky voice, she came. Hard. "Mercer!" she cried out in a voice so loud, her thu'um threatened to break free from her chest.

"That's my girl," he continued his encouragement as the last waves of her orgasm ripped through her, and placed light kisses on the inside of her thighs.

_My girl._  The two words buzzed in Kaiya's heart along with the orgasm that fluttered through her entire body. It's not often she was given an experience like that: complete bliss for her body and her heart. Earlier today she was struggling to come to terms with his death. Now he was giving her the sexual experience of her life while calling her his girl and encouraging her to come for him.

While Kaiya laid in the afterglow thinking of how much had changed in such a short amount of time, Mercer took the opportunity to rid himself of the trousers he had purposefully kept on until this moment. He knew if he hadn't kept them on, he would have been way too tempted to just take her when she was crying out his name like that instead of taking the time he wanted to give to this moment.

When he returned to the bed, his breath caught in his throat for a brief moment at the sight. There Kaiya was, flushed, pink and glowing from his efforts but instead of looking exhausted or finished, she looked up at him from her position propped up on her elbows with hunger. She was not done.

"I don't deserve you looking at me like that Kaiya," he admitted roughly, "but I am so godsdamned happy that you are."

"Come here, you" she cooed in her sultriest voice as his gaze met hers.

"Yes ma'am" he surrendered as he began crawling his way up her body. He placed kisses on her legs and stomach as he ventured higher, her fingers once again combing through his dark locks. He paused in his assent over her breasts, spending some time with each one before continuing his exploration up to her face. He kissed along her collarbone, her shoulders and neck. She giggled as he continued, still unsure of how to handle his sentimental gestures. She was the Dragonborn, used to hearing bards play songs for her in every inn in Skyrim, yet she had never felt worshiped quite like this before.

When he finally reached her lips, he paused before he kissed her just to look into her eyes for a moment. There was a slight playfulness to his gaze, like he was trying to tease her with his patience. Not to be forced to wait a moment longer, Kaiya placed both of her palms on either side of his face and just initiated the kiss herself. Instead of pulling away, he laughed against her lips and braced himself above her with one arm while his other ventured down her body, slowly exploring. When he reached her legs, his hand drifted down the inside of one of her thighs in order to spread her legs wider for him. He positioned himself in the cradle of her thighs as his hand traveled its way to her hip, giving it a squeeze.

Her hands wandered around his chest as they kissed and her fingertips flirted with his stomach just to watch him shiver from the tickling sensation. She smiled against his lips, her happiness in this moment a palpable entity in the room with them. He pulled back from their kiss to rest his forehead against hers, their shared intimacy making the use of words obsolete. With one hand, he guided his length to her opening before feeding it into her, inch by inch.

Her mouth and eyes opened wide at the sensation of being slowly filled while he continued to hold her eyes locked on his as he entered her. When he was fully sheathed inside her, they both let out a groan that said it all: their happiness in this moment, the sheer ecstasy of being here and doing this again. Their gazes locked, the smiles they wore shown through their eyes.

"Hey," Kaiya spoke first, running her hands along his chest to punctuate her giddiness.

"Hi," Mercer responded in his deep, hoarse voice, tinged with his smile.

They had yet to move, instead remaining still so that she could get accustomed to his size again. While they had done this plenty of times in the past, it had been a while for both of them and he did not want to risk any of their pleasure in this moment on his desire to move quickly.

"You good?" he asked her softly as he ran a hand through her hair, although from the look on her face the question was unnecessary.

"So good."

With his smile still firmly all over his face, he began slowly moving his hips in circles, drawing a gasp out from between her lips. His hand returned to cradle her face and as his hips began to slowly pump, he kissed her. Her hands clung to his back, pulling him to her for more. More friction. More kisses. More Mercer.

What started as a small, intimate peck turned to two, then three, before it turned into a passionate expression, his tongue plunging into her mouth as his hips gradually picked up pace. Breathless, he pulled back to look at her again. The look that met him was one he didn't expect: confusion.

"What?" his words were strained with his exertion, his breaths heavy, "I can't kiss my girl while I fuck her?"

A smile lit up her face as he let out a husky laugh at his own words. "Your girl, huh?"

"You heard me."

Propping himself up on his knees, Mercer pulled both of Kaiya's hands from his back before stretching them over her head. After running his calloused hands down both sides of her body and back up to hers, he laced their fingers together. Their faces now mere inches apart, he pressed his lips to hers in a quick, hard kiss.

"And don't you forget it, Footpad" he growled while his hips continued their slow hammering into her. "You're mine. The rest of Nirn can fuck off. I'm back and don't intend on letting you out of my sight again."

Kaiya's brows raised at the intensity of his decree but her attention was soon diverted to what was happening down below. Her eyes rolled back into her head as his pace quickened, a moan escaping her lips. With determined movements, he slowly drug himself out of her before snapping his hips back to plunge inside. The angle between their bodies was practically nonexistent as he laid almost flat on top of her, which made for wonderful friction of his pelvic bone with her clit. Tension built within her every muscle, tightening and tightening as she felt herself climbing toward release.

"Have you nothing to say?"

Mercer's growl snapped Kaiya out of her blissful ascent. "Huh?" was all she managed to croak out.

"I said you're mine." To accentuate his words, his hips snapped even faster. They were both reaching the point of no return, neither able to keep their pleasure quiet.

"Fuck" Mercer groaned out as he buried his head into the crook of her neck. Kaiya arched her back, moaning her appreciation towards the ceiling.

"Mercer, I'm going to come" she forced out, her eyes closed tightly.

"Oh no you don't," Mercer growled as his hips slowed to almost a complete stop.

"Wha-what!?" Kaiya shrieked, writhing beneath him for some of the friction her body was craving from his. "Mercer, don't stop!"

"Have need of me, do you?" he growled as he kissed her cheek, his pace still torturously slow.

"Yes!"

"Is this what you need?" he teased as he sped up thrusting hips for a moment before slowing them back down.

"YES! Mercer, please!" Kaiya begged without shame.

"I'll give you what you want, Footpad. You just have to say the words." Green eyes locked onto her blue ones, stressing the importance of this moment.

"What words? I said please!" she cried, her pleading eyes boring into his. "Mercer you're not being fair!"

A low, rumbling chuckle was her reply. "I told you that you were mine, Kaiya." He ground his hips into her again, his hands squeezing her fingers. "And I want a response."

"Oh for the love of Sithis," Kaiya scoffed. "Yes, I'm yours. Always have been." At the softening around Mercer's eyes at her words, she realized how much this moment meant to him. This wasn't just about orgasm denial, like he was making it seem. This was important. The realization squeezed her heart like a fist, her breaths speeding up and her fingers tightening around his. Their gazes locked, she let silence fill the room for a moment longer before she continued, all frustration gone from her tone.

"I'm yours," she vowed. "And you're mine. No more games. No more secrets. No more lies. It's you and me."

A deep v formed between his eyebrows as the words hit him, the gravity wrapping around his heart and the intensity of the moment showing in the concentration on his face. Without another word, his lips crashed into hers in answer. He unlinked their fingers on one hand so could cradle her face, their eyes locked. His hips picked up speed once again, snapping into her with a fervor that brought a moan out of each of them in reply. In instinct, her eyes slammed shut in order to concentrate on the glorious feeling he was creating below.

"Eyes on me," he commanded. She obeyed. Holding her jaw, he kissed her again before explaining. "I want you here with me when you come. I want to see it." He kissed her again as his own release became imminent and his actions frantic. "I want you to see me."

"I see you," she whispered to him like a prayer.

Her muscles tightened and tightened, but she held his gaze. "Yes, that's my girl" he whispered as her mouth began to drop open, her eyes still holding onto his. The muscles in his jaw tightened, his control weakening and his grip on Kaiya's face and hand squeezing with his desperation.

"Are you going to come for me, Kaiya?" he asked, voice strained and neck muscles taut as he grappled for control.

"Yes," she exhaled. "Don't stop. Just like that."

"Fuck," he groaned out as his own release threatened. "You feel too good, Kaiya. You've gotta come for me baby I can't hold on much longer."

As if she were waiting for his permission, her body trembled at his words as her release took over. It took over her every muscle, contracting and relaxing as her release exploded through her body. Still, she did not move her eyes from his.

"That's it, Footpad" he exhaled through shaky breaths. "I can feel you coming on me, Kaiya. That's it." His eyes did not leave hers as his hips thrust faster and faster, his own release now what he worked towards. "Godsdamn, you're beautiful when you're blissed out like this."

She smiled at his words. Dirty one moment, sweet and complimentary the next. She loved them all. As her body slowly came back from its trip to aetherius with that last orgasm, she concentrated on making his release as good as hers just was. Her smile turned devious as she decided to hit him with some of her own dirty words.

"How many times did you think about this when you were gone, Mercer?" her words were dripping with heat. "My face when I came around your cock? How my insides gripped you?"

"Fuck," he exhaled "all the time, footpad. Constantly."

"It's even better than you imagined, isn't it?"

"You know the answer to that, Kaiya."

With her hand that wasn't entwined with Mercer's, she reached down between them and cradled his balls. They were tight against his body, telling her it would be any time now. He grunted in response, his every breath a curse. "Fuck, Kaiya!"

This plan of hers was backfiring. Seeing so much pleasure in his face and hearing his breathless curses was affecting her more than she anticipated. Another orgasm started to form in her tensing muscles, and she wasn't the only one that noticed.

"Again?" he asked plainly. There was no irritation, which surprised Kaiya. She might have been irritated if her own orgasm had to wait again like he was going to force his to for her.

"Yes," she answered honestly. At this, they both went silent, concentrating on their movements and what was transpiring between them. Moments later, Kaiya's orgasm ripped through her body the same way it had before, pulsing her every muscle. His name on her lips, she cried out, but her gaze never broke from his.

"Good girl," he praised her as his thrusts became erratic. He was close.

"Yes," she exhaled, still in the throes of her own release. "Come for me Mercer!"

With a roar, he obeyed. She felt him pulse inside her and watched his face as the orgasm ripped through his entire body. His mouth open as his body jerked, she raised up and pressed a kiss to his cheek before he collapsed. One of his hands still gripped hers, their fingers intertwined. With deliberate softness, she ran the fingers of her free hand through his hair as his head rested on her chest.

"By the Nine, I missed this" she breathed as her lips pressed light kisses into his hair. A rough chuckle made its way through his body, but that was his only response. After a few more breathless moments, Mercer pulled out of her and rolled onto his back in the bed next to her. Just as they had done countless times before this, he pulled her to him and she laid her head on his chest, her fingers dancing down his chest in the silence of the room.

"I missed this," he said, shattering the quiet in the room with his rough voice. Then, so softly she barely heard it, he said "missed you."

A grin slowly made its way across her face at his admission. "It's okay," she teased, her fingers walking up his chest. "I missed you too."

No more words were needed. They both found themselves drifting off towards sleep they desperately needed, even though the sun was up and the quiet Riften morning was beginning to pick up the sounds of shopkeepers opening their stands in the marketplace. None of that mattered, however, in the quietness of Honeyside where they lay. They would need to talk it all out. One good lay didn't replace good old-fashioned communication, but it didn't hurt either. Without a word, they both accepted that they could discuss whatever they needed to discuss once they awoke but for now, they wanted their peace. Their bliss.

They were together again and while they had mountains to climb to set everything back right, that didn't matter right now. They needed this. This was their vow, their promise. They would make this work, of that they were certain. With their newfound peace coursing through their sated bodies, they drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_8th of Second Seed 4E203_

The first surprise Kaiya encountered as she woke up was that she woke up naturally. There were no dreams or nightmares, criminal matriarchs or guild members banging on the door that caused her sleep to end, which was new. It was dark outside, which was also strange, considering the only recent occurrences of Kaiya waking up somewhat naturally were the times she woke up when the sun shone into Mercer's bedroom window at Riftweald.

_Mercer._

The moment Mercer hit her thoughts was the worst part of waking up for Kaiya. It was the reminder that he was no longer there after blissful unconsciousness that separated her from thinking about it for a matter of hours. This occurrence, however, made her pause. Wasn't there something that happened…

At that moment, a stirring in the bed next to Kaiya made her heart plunge down to her toes in shock for her second surprise of her limited time awake. It had been a long time since she last woke up next to another. When the unidentified man next to her rolled over and reached for her, pulling her into the cradle of his arms to continue sleeping as he held her, she was hit with shock number three.

_Mercer. In bed. Next to her._

She was dead. That had to be it. Although, after looking around, she thought it strange that the void looked a lot like Honeyside. Huh. Maybe she wasn't in the void after all. She had always wondered how the Daedric Princes that she pled fealty to would decide which plane of Oblivion she would be gifted with upon her death. She said a silent prayer in thanks to whoever was responsible for this decision that she was not in Coldharbour. That would have sucked.

As she adjusted her position in the cradle of Mercer's arms, determined to enjoy death as long as she was allowed, her muscles screamed in protest. Why was she sore? Dead people don't get sore, do they?

And that's when the memories came flooding back.

She wasn't dead and neither was Mercer. He was here, next to her. Because he wasn't the betrayer they all thought he was. He called her "my girl" and said he wasn't letting her out of his sight. He wouldn't let her come until she told him she was his. They fell asleep after the best sex she had ever had. He was still here, wrapped around her. This wasn't a dream. It was reality.

Her face ached from the large grin that split across her cheeks at the realization that she was not crazy and that this was not all hallucination, because she could hear him snoring into the crook of her neck as she laughed.

Not to be outdone by her blossoming happiness however, Kaiya's looming depression decided this was a perfect time to rear its head and remind her that everything wasn't as perfect as it seemed. They still needed to talk, badly. In the revelations from Karliah that preceded Mercer's return to her life, she learned quite a bit about the man who slept next to her. Some of what she learned was great, some was concerning, but all of it she wished she had heard from Mercer instead of some dead Guildmaster's journal.

Even so, there was little that could get in the way of Kaiya's happiness. She had Mercer back and even though there was work ahead of them, they would figure it out. Nothing seemed like a relationship obstacle when compared to one member of the relationship not existing anymore. It tends to change one's perspective after being faced with what it feels like to lose the other person. After that, things like lying, secrets, games and murdering the former Guildmaster just seemed petty.

She was unsure how long she had been awake basking in her new reality when she felt Mercer stir from where he laid behind her. A lopsided smile crept up across her lips as his barely perceptible groans hit her ear. His arms wrapped tightly around her to pull her closer, her back against his front, so he could speak directly into her ear.

"Hey," he started, his voice hoarse and deep from sleep. "Now this. This is how I want to wake up every day."

He buried his face into the crook between her neck and shoulder, laying sloppy kisses on her naked skin. Cheeks red and flushed with her own happiness, Kaiya could not help the face splitting smile that seemed to be permanent now. She could feel the rumbling of his voice and his deep groans where his chest met her back. The feeling was so familiar and she had missed it so much that she could not help the moisture that collected in her eyes. He was here. She could barely believe it.

The nagging feeling from earlier could not stay dormant for long however, and began to creep up into the space in her pounding heart. They needed to talk. The need was like a presence in the room with them as soon as she thought about it and she knew it could not be postponed for any longer.

"We need to talk."

His body froze behind her and a slow exhale left his lips, his breath blowing directly onto her shoulder. In an instant, she realized what her statement must have sounded like so soon after waking with him like this. Doubt. Second thoughts. Or even worse, regret.

She flipped around to face him immediately, her heart lurching in her chest at the defeated expression he wore. No no no she would not mess this up so quickly.

"I didn't mean like that, Mercer." His eyes shot up to meet hers as her hand moved to brush the hair out of his face. "I meant that we still have a lot to work out. Such as where you're living, if you're coming back to the guild, if you intend to remain dead to the rest of Riften... oh and the fact that you had a relationship with Karliah's mother that you never told me about."

A relieved exhale left his lips as his expression softened. This he expected. Bending his elbow to prop up his head on his hand as he faced her, he drug one eyebrow up to his hairline showing his skepticism over her supposed calm.

"Well I was hoping we could figure out the answers to your first several questions together." His free hand tucked a strand of her wild, blonde hair behind her ear as she mirrored his position. "But let's start with the one about Karliah's mother since that one seems to be eating at you a little bit."

There was laughter in his voice, yet Kaiya was not playing along. To her, this was not funny. She glared back at him as she worked out how she wanted to respond to his casual tone but it did not go unnoticed by the observant former Guildmaster.

"Okay," he spoke in a show of surrender, holding his palm out to her on his free hand. "I see this is a more sensitive subject than I originally believed."

"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Her voice was small, yet steel in its resolve. While she was hurt by his lie of omission, she was determined to solve this issue so it would not sit between them like a sore.

He contemplated his response to her seriously, his eyes meeting hers to show his sincerity. "I don't have a good answer for that Footpad," he admitted. "I guess I figured that it was so long ago that it didn't matter. Or that I would be dead soon anyway so it wouldn't matter. Or a combination of the two, that you didn't really need to know in the grand scheme of things because I was going to be dead and it was a long time ago."

Kaiya gulped at the raw intensity of his honesty. "Whoa."

"Yeah," he exhaled a laugh. "I can see how that might be a lot to take. So how about this?" He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "How about I answer your questions now and tell you whatever you want to know. This is your chance to get it all out of me, and then we'll move on from it."

"That sounds good," she replied with a small smile. "Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me about your relationship with the Dunmer MILF."

Mercer tilted his head back and barked out a laugh, the sound bouncing around the room before knocking Kaiya right in the heart. How she had missed that damn laugh. Without a conscious thought, his free hand began rubbing up and down her body on the outside of the blanket, from hip, across her lower back and up to her shoulders and back, as if it was the most comfortable action in the world for him. It was easy again, just the two of them talking as they always did, even if the subject matter was a little darker this time.

"Dralsi was in the guild when I joined over 25 years ago," he explained as his hand continued up and down along Kaiya's side. "She was married to someone outside of the guild, yet the two of us began an affair."

Kaiya just nodded at this admission. When his eyebrow shot up in surprise at her tame response, she laughed "Mercer of all the things I've learned recently, an extramarital affair is the least of my concerns."

She caught a small wince from him at her honesty, but he continued. "We were young and stupid and thought we were in love. We went on heists together, slept together and then I joined her as a Nightingale."

"You were both Nightingales?" Kaiya asked with a gasp.

"Yes, and I have to admit, it's strange to be able to speak to you about the Nightingales" he chuckled as he put a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am not going to lie and say I haven't fantasized once or twice about seeing you in that armor again…"

"You're getting distracted, Frey!" Kaiya laughed and smacked his shoulder. "You were talking about Dralsi being a Nightingale with you…"

"Oh, right." He shook his head as if trying to dislodge the image of Kaiya in her Nightingale armor so he could concentrate. "Yeah, Dralsi was a Nightingale before me and then when I got inducted, it was Dralsi, Gallus and myself. Karliah actually took her place when she died."

"Oh, she died?" Kaiya asked with a surprising amount of sadness in her voice. "I didn't know that."

"She died protecting the Twilight Sepulcher from an attack by a band of mercenaries."

Kaiya remained silent, just nodded for Mercer to continue.

"Anyway, when we were together, I learned that she had a daughter with her husband. A daughter named Karliah. She said that she was teaching Karliah everything she knew about thieving and one day wanted to pass down her Nightingale position to her. When Karliah eventually joined the guild, Dralsi made me promise to protect her."

"This is where I get confused," Kaiya interjected. "Why would you need to protect Karliah in the guild?"

"I had a same reaction when she asked, so that was when she dropped the bombshell on me about her mother and therefore the lineage of Karliah." Kaiya nodded in understanding as Mercer continued. "She worried that when members found out about it, they would do all they could to use this information to their advantage in any way they could."

"I see," Kaiya said, nodding as her fingers drew circles on Mercer's chest.

"So I promised that I would always look after and protect Karliah," Mercer laughed without humor and drug his hand through his hair "and godsdamn it if I wasn't true to that promise."

Kaiya felt a tug in her heart for him at his raw confession. He had lost everything in order to protect Karliah from Maven, and the guilt had undoubtedly eaten at him for decades that he was the one to introduce Maven into the picture in the first place. With that thought in mind, Kaiya continued on with her line of questions.

"So where did Maven come into all this?"

Mercer's muscles seemed to turn to stone at the introduction of Maven into their conversation. It was as if every fiber in his body went taut at her name. "Maven knew before she ever met me who Karliah was. In fact, Maven knew before Karliah did who Karliah was. No one knows how to take advantage of an opportunity quite like Maven."

"That makes no sense." Kaiya stated, her brows drawn in confusion. "What did she do?"

"She knew I was in the guild. Dralsi had recently been killed at the Twilight Sepulcher and we had just inducted Karliah in as a Nightingale in her place. As you know, Maven has her ways to find out any bit of information she wants," Mercer groaned out his words behind clenched teeth, "so she did. She found out that Dralsi and I had been in a relationship and that I was heartbroken at her death. Perfect opportunity for Maven to swoop in as the rebound to take my mind away from all of it, all the while spinning her web for me to get caught in and hang myself."

Kaiya could feel her anxiety rising in the pit of her stomach as the conversation continued. She assumed it was much the same for Mercer as he rehashed and reopened these old wounds, but they had to make it through if they were going to put this behind them. "Go on," Kaiya urged. "Let's get this part over with so we can be done talking about the succubus."

Mercer breathed out a laugh before cradling Kaiya's face with his free hand. "You. How are you real?"

"What?!" Kaiya asked in shock. "I'm making you talk about shit you hate and you're getting sentimental? What happened to you when you were on the run for a while, Merc?"

He laughed harder at her shock. "The way you get angry for me when I tell you about Maven. It's endearing. It reminds me that I'm not alone."

"You may be a lot of things, Mercer Frey" Kaiya continued with a laugh "but you're not wrong to hate Maven Black-Briar. No, you're not alone in that."

He leaned forward and pressed another chaste kiss to her forehead before continuing. "Well that's basically it, I think you can figure out the rest. Maven is good at what she does, I have to give her that. She learned quickly that Karliah was someone that I wanted to look after and she manipulated that to her benefit. Gallus was a danger to Karliah. Gallus needed to be stopped and removed. The ends justify the means if it means protecting Karliah." Without noticing, Mercer's fists had begun squeezing and tightening around the blanket that covered them, his teeth grinding into each other in frustration. "I was such an idiot to fall for her scheme and it cost me everything."

"Not everything," Kaiya reminded him quietly as she bent forward to place kisses on his face. "You were an idiot, yeah, but you were also young. Now you know better and you have found your redemption."

"Have I?" he asked seriously, his eyes boring into hers as he awaited her answer. He hadn't realized how badly he needed to hear her say that.

"You gave up your life for your guild," Kaiya reminded him as she kissed the tip of his nose. "I'd say that's penance enough."

With a surge of energy, Mercer rolled on top of the giggling Kaiya. He placed sloppy kisses all over her face and neck, all the while letting her know exactly what he thought of her. She was perfect, he said. He didn't deserve her. She just continued to giggle under his ministrations, his playfulness making her heart beat faster.

"We're not done talking yet, Mercer!" she admonished between laughs, but her heart wasn't in it.

"We're done for now," he commanded. "I think we earned a break, don't you?"

As his eyes met hers, the green dancing with his own giddiness of his confirmed redemption, she knew she could never say no to this man.

* * *

"I should probably be more concerned that all of my clothes are in your wardrobe but I have to admit, this is just convenient."

After distracting themselves from conversation until their lusts were temporarily sated, the two thieves needed food. But in order to make it to the kitchen to take care of their hunger, they recognized that they probably needed to put on clothes first. Each prior attempt had ended the same: convincing themselves that it was time for another break.

Kaiya stood at the cooking pot in Honeyside virtually swallowed whole in one of Mercer's undershirts, the hem coming to just above her knees. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she watched Mercer tug on a pair of loose fitting trousers that she had pilfered from Riftweald Manor. Who would have thought that her drunken burglary on a whim would have ending up being so practical?

Adding more salt to the concoction in the cooking pot, she continued to stir while her smile stayed in place. It was becoming a somewhat permanent fixture to her face and she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty about it. Sure, they still had some issues to work out and there were probably several members of the guild that would love to get their hands on the man in her home right now, but none of that had the power to tarnish her good mood when she could hear him moving around a few feet away. Something as simple as that, being able to hear his footsteps on the wooden planks of the floor or the sound of his grunts as he stumbled around in the next room, it made everything better. She would never take those little miracles for granted. They meant he was here with her.

As though he could hear his name in her thoughts, Mercer approached her as she stirred the contents of the cooking pot and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Smells good," he murmured into her neck as he placed a wet kiss behind her ear.

"I hope you like apple cabbage stew," she replied, knocking the wooden spoon against the cooking pot.

"Is it warm?"

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Yes…" Couldn't he see the steam coming off of the pot in front of them?

"Then I'll love it" he announced, kissing her again on her bare collarbone since the shirt she wore had slipped down off her shoulder. "I haven't had anything warm in weeks, Footpad."

"Oh." His admission hit her somewhere in her ribcage, causing her heart to jump in surprise. As much as she had thought about him since their rendezvous in Irkngthand, none of those thoughts had been about what he was doing. This made sense, since she had thought he was dead, but it made her realize that there were now a few weeks of time that she had no idea what he was doing, where he slept or what he ate. The image of him scrounging for food or sleeping out in the cold since he couldn't show his face in a tavern or inn clenched at her stomach.

Shaking her head to remove these thoughts that clouded up her happiness, she directed Mercer to grab two bowls and to have a seat. As much as she'd rather stand there in his arms and enjoy such a mundane task with him, she knew they needed to finish their conversation from earlier.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent talking. Talking about the past, about the present, about the future. They took a few breaks along the way when Mercer's eyes wouldn't leave Kaiya's bare shoulder as the neck of her shirt slipped down again or when Kaiya's focus seemed to not be able to latch onto anything outside of Mercer's naked chest as he spoke. But they both knew that they had a lot of ground to cover if they wanted to move forward and it was that thought that kept them pushing through their conversation even when they wanted to just be done with it all and lie in their own bliss.

Mercer explained the manipulation of Maven that caused him to kill someone he had once considered a friend. Kaiya rubbed his back as he walked her through the day he realized he had made the biggest mistake of his life. He told her about how Maven revealed her true colors to him and how he had grown to hate her above all others. Kaiya's heart pounded and bled for Mercer as he spoke, feeling everything alongside him as if she were experiencing his history first hand. There was one admission he made however that made her heart swim and flutter in an entirely different way from the sick, broken pounding it had done before.

"Oh no Footpad, my relationship with Dralsi was nothing like what I have with you."

"What do you mean?" she had asked, her heart in her throat.

"With Dralsi I always knew it would never go anywhere. She was married, it was just a fling. Having this in the back of my mind meant that the relationship was safe for me. I didn't have to worry about it getting too serious. We didn't have to fix any problems or work on our communication or anything a real couple would have had to do. We just got to concentrate on the fun."

"Oh," Kaiya had said, her heart sinking at his words. Her eyes dropped to her hands in her lap in defeat. Mercer noticed. He always noticed. Sliding out of his chair, he came to kneel before her on the planks of the kitchen floor. With a shaky hand to her chin, he lifted her face so that she was forced to look him in the eye.

"That didn't mean that it was better, Footpad. That mean that it was shallow. Hollow. The relationship had no depth. As much as I thought I loved her then, I had no idea what that meant." Both hands cradled her face as he continued, the green in his eyes practically glowing with his intensity. "What I have with you is not safe. There is no escape route or plan B if it doesn't work out. It will only end if we let it end. That's terrifying, Footpad, but it's real."

Kaiya's eyes teared up as he spoke, his raw honesty tearing away at any defenses she had left. He had never spoken to her quite like this before, with such vulnerability.

"Don't you get it, Kaiya?" he begged her for understanding, his eyes pleading as they shimmered. "Dralsi died when we were together and while it hurt me and I thought I was broken, it was nothing compared to being away from you for a few weeks. I knew you were alive. You were right there, but I couldn't touch you. I could only watch from afar and imagine what it would be like to have you look at me again like you used to. But I thought it would never happen. I thought I had lost that privilege."

"Wait," Kaiya interjected. "You watched me?"

"Yes," he confessed on a sigh. "I did. I watched as you pretended everything was okay. When you would break into my house to get some sleep or when you thought you heard me or saw me. I watched your heartbreak over me and all I wanted was to run to you and have you look at me in awe again, like you used to, but then I realized that one day that heartbreak would fade and I'd have to see that look on your face for someone else."

Kaiya shook her head in disagreement, but Mercer only continued. "I had to come to terms with the fact that you may look at someone else the way you used to look at me and I thought that if the wounds from your sword and the water in Irkngthand didn't kill me, the thought of you with someone else would. But then I realized that I wanted to see you happy more than I wanted to be the only one that could make you happy. I bargained with every deity I could think of to let me see you smile just one more time, even if it was at some other man. I just wanted to know you were smiling again. And that's when I knew that this," he moved his finger back and forth between them "was something much more than I had ever experienced before. It was enough to drag me out of the water and it saved my life, yes. But it also made me want to save yours, even if it meant ripping my own heart out to do it. And for me, for this selfish, greedy thief, that was a revolution."

Kaiya's mouth dropped open at his confession, tears spilling out over heated cheeks. What they had been through had changed him, had taught him lessons he never expected to have learned. He was still her Mercer, but instead of keeping her at arm's length to protect himself, he was opening up his chest and letting her see his beating heart. It was beaten, broken and bleeding, but it was his. His past had taken its toll but it still pumped, but now it pumped for her. And it was beautiful.

"What made you come back?" Kaiya's voice shook as she spoke, her hands coming up to hold onto Mercer's wrists for stability. He continued to cradle her face with both hands, his eyes roaming her face as if to soak in every subtle reaction she had to his words.

"I recognized that you deserved to make the decision once and for all if it was me that would make you happy or not" he confessed with a humorless laugh, his thumbs wiping at her tears. "You made me promise you that I would not make decisions on your behalf and while I broke that promise when I took off and made you chase me all over Skyrim in my convoluted plan to save the guild, I could at least give you the chance to make up your own mind about us."

Kaiya nodded as her tears continued to streak down her face. "I want you, you ass!" she exclaimed with a laugh. She grabbed his face to mirror the hold he had on her before crashing her lips into his. The kiss was hard but she could feel Mercer's smile taking shape beneath her lips.

"Yeah?"

So much vulnerability had crept into his voice that she had no choice but to kiss him again, to kiss the questions and doubt out of his mind. "Yes!" she cried out as she continued to assault him with kiss after kiss, her tears causing both of their faces to become wet. "There's no one else for me, Mercer. Not in my past, present or future. No one. I'll always choose you. I fucking love you, you dumbass!"

Mercer laughed and the sound shocked Kaiya's heart into beating even faster. His voice. His smell. His laugh. They would always make her body react in ways that she could not control. This laugh was new, though. It was a laugh that sounded like it came from a place of sheer happiness. Nothing to fear. Nothing to doubt.

"I fucking love you too, Footpad."


	10. Chapter 10

_10th of Second Seed 4E203_

Kaiya couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous. Terrified? Sure. Miserable? Quite often. But anxiousness? After all she had been through, one would think that something as simple as nerves couldn't rattle her anymore, but they'd be wrong.

She stared at the shadowmark on the mausoleum in the graveyard, her nerves preventing her from reaching out and pressing it to reveal the secret entrance to the cistern. This was such a mundane, everyday action that she had performed more times than she could count. Why did it seem insurmountable today?

The answer why was not all that allusive. Today was different. Today wasn't like the countless other times she had entered into the cistern without a second thought. Today she had some work to do and an entire guild of people that were looking to her for answers. She had stayed hidden in her own secret world with Mercer for long enough. It was time to re-enter the real world.

With a forced exhale, she made herself press the shadowmark and the grinding sound of the mechanism began. Her body fell into its easily memorized pattern of opening the grate and shimming down the ladder without much input from her frazzled brain. Once her boots hit the stones however, her body caught up with her brain, freezing her to the spot.

With the exception of the sound of water cascading from the pipes along the walls, the cistern was silent.

It wasn't empty. Thieves lined the walls, just as they always did. They just didn't make a sound. Instead of bustling about, they were all as still as she was, frozen in place, staring right back at her as she stared at them.

They were looking to her for answers. She had to be the one to break this silence, to give them what they had undoubtedly been wondering about for days now.

It was time for her to be a leader.

With that reminder, she forced her legs to pump again, pushing her towards the center of the cistern where the rest of the guild's leadership waited. A bead of sweat rolled from her forehead and down her neck, belying the sense of calm authority she tried so hard to project. When she finally reached the platform in the center of the cistern, she felt the weight of all eyes on her.

It was hot. So hot. Why was it so bright?

She couldn't do this _._

"It's okay lass," Brynjolf crooned in her ear as he placed a reassuring hand on her back. "It'll all be over before you know it."

She gulped at their attention. This was too much. "Would it be cool with all of you if we did this in the Flagon?" She let out an awkward laugh. "This seems a little… formal."

Delvin cracked a grin at her question. Vex followed with a smile of her own. Karliah nodded once, her face remaining solemn. Brynjolf rounded out the leadership by barking out a comfortable laugh. Kaiya felt herself exhale for what had to be the first time since she had entered the cistern. These were her people. It was going to be okay.

"You heard your Guildmaster," Brynjolf joked with his voice raised in order to address the rest of the thieves that lined the walls. "Let's head to the Flagon!"

One by one, the thieves filed into the Ragged Flagon from the cistern. Some of them whispered to each other, asking what she was going to say or why they needed to go to the Flagon or even complaining about the jobs they had to do that this little ceremony was going to delay, but yet, they followed her direction without argument.

Once they had all situated themselves in the chairs and leaning along the makeshift walls of the tavern, Kaiya entered. With a single nod, she communicated to Vekel behind the bar that she needed a mead. Probably several, if the stark faces of her guild were any indication.

Kaiya's eyes met Brynjolf's, then Vex's, hovered over Karliah's for just a moment, then landed on Delvin's. The guild leadership stood next to her, their presence giving her strength. Delvin's eyes were soft as he looked at her with respect, a small smile hinting around the corner of his mouth. That small gesture from someone she trusted was all she needed. She could do this.

"Before we get started with what I'm sure will be a super lavish Guildmaster induction ceremony," Kaiya joked, hoping no one heard the tremor in her voice. "I have some things I'd like to say."

"Floor's all yours, love." Delvin answered, sweeping out one arm to where the rest of the guild sat waiting.

With a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, she began.

"It's been a pretty crazy few weeks for all of us, hasn't it?"

No one spoke in response but nods bobbed the heads that stood around the Flagon.

"Understatement of the year, huh?" she laughed without humor before continuing. "I know it's a lot to take in but I hope by the time you all hear me out there will be a little more clarity."

"By the end of this induction ceremony, I will officially be your new Guildmaster. You all know me to varying degrees and through different means, but I think it's time for us to all be on equal footing. If I've learned anything from the past several weeks it's that secrets and lies are a sickness that will eat out a guild from the inside and so I vow to you now that you won't have to worry about any of that with me. But without understanding where this vow comes from, these are just words, so let me set the example and tell you a little about why they mean so much to me."

All eyes stared back at her with rapt attention, bringing a shuddering exhale from her lungs before she pressed on with her monologue.

"A wise man once told me that we all have pasts we'd rather not talk about, which is why we were all okay with living in a sewer," she laughed as her eyes connected with Delvin's. He returned her smile, remembering the day in which he said exactly that to her when she was a nervous, new recruit. "But considering shadows from the past have a way of coming back to life and changing everything, I've decided it's best for you all to know what you're getting yourselves into with me."

"I came to this guild after I lost the majority of the only family I had ever known. For those of you who know of my other group associations, this will be of no surprise but to the rest of you, I am a member of the Dark Brotherhood."

She paused for effect, small gasps and whispers littering the quiet. She took it all in, the fear, the confusion. This is what coming clean with your family felt like.

"Our sanctuary was sacked by the Penitus Oculatus, who had gained entry after our leader betrayed me in a botched attempt at protecting the Brotherhood. Her betrayal resulted in the deaths of many of my dark brothers and sisters, all of which I considered family."

She paused again, looking around the room to make eye contact with as many of her guild members as she could. A few of them had tears in their eyes at her words, others looked angry.

"I carried around the guilt of surviving and the anger towards my former leader for a long time. In fact, I still struggle with the repercussions of that day even now, over a year after it happened. I share this with you now not only so that you're all aware that I understand fully what betrayal feels like and why I will always take it seriously," her eyes hardened as they scanned the room, the assassin making its presence known in her stare, "but so you know that I have cracks in my armor and that on some days I struggle holding it all together."

She took a moment to close her eyes and gather her strength to continue. As cathartic as all of this was, it drained her energy as she tried to maintain in control of her emotions. When she felt grounded and ready, she kept going.

"For a long time, I thought that I had to deal with this on my own," a smile took shape on her lips, "but a certain former guildmaster reminded me that strength doesn't mean dealing with your problems on your own. It usually just ends up hurting everyone around you. He was right. So that's why I am telling you all this now, so that you understand that there will be days I need my family to help me get through my past. And I'll be here for all of you to do the same. None of us have to carry our burdens alone anymore."

Kaiya's eyes met Sapphire's, who stood leaning against the makeshift wall towards the back of the tavern. Her hand covered her mouth to hold in her sobs and Kaiya's eyes softened in understanding. She hoped that sharing her story would help someone and she hoped even more that her guild members would take her up on her offer to share their burdens.

"We are a family and I'll fight anyone who tries to break us apart, but I'll need the same commitment from all of you. Let's vow to each other now: no more secrets. No more lies. No betrayal. I'll work alongside you as your Guildmaster and I hope to earn your respect, but I expect that you will respect the rest of your guild in return."

Enthusiastic nods broke out amongst most of the guild along with a few shouts of agreement. Someone tried to start a slow clap, but it didn't take. Kaiya smiled with shimmering eyes as she pressed forward.

"I'm not done yet!" she declared with a laugh in her voice. "Now that we have the emotional stuff out of the way, let's get down to business. As your Guildmaster, I will give you all access to all of the perks and benefits that I can, so it's important for you all to know what they are."

A few shouts of excitement and applause broke out along the room, bringing a chuckle out of the leadership that stood around her.

Taking a deep inhale, Kaiya let out her entire resume in one rushed breath. "I'm a thane in all nine holds, a champion of several Daedric Princes, an Agent of Dibella and of Mara, the Harbinger of the Companions in Whiterun, the Archmage of the College of Winterhold and most important of all… I am the Dragonborn."

Cheers exploded amongst the thieves, with applause and shouts and a few even jumped up and down in excitement. The sight broke out a huge grin along Kaiya's face, her skin stretching with the size of it. This made it all worth it. The years of toiling on one quest after another, hiking through the wilderness of the Pale or in the harsh beauty of the Reach, all for one mission or another. All the long nights alone or spent working with people who didn't even know her name, but only knew of her by a title. It all led to this. The day when Kaiya could use all of these experiences to help a family. Her family.

When the cheering had gone on long enough, she put her hands out to calm them down so that she could continue. "That's enough you coattail riders," she teased, although laughter was present in her voice. "I'm not done yet."

"I will give you my all as your Guildmaster and I intend on being a damn good one, but if you had asked me a few weeks ago if I ever thought I'd be in the position to lead a guild, I would have laughed at the question. I was a mess, unable to manage my own life, much less an entire guild's! But I had the privilege of learning what made a great leader from one of the best." A smile crept up on her face at the mere thought of the former Guildmaster.

"He taught me that you did whatever you had to do to save the guild, even if that meant sacrificing everything you had or everything you were. He taught me that a great leader was the last wave of defense against those who would bring the guild harm, even if that meant that you yourself took the brunt of the attack. A leader pushed those under his command to be better in the only way they would understand, even if that meant having others hate him or think he was an asshole in the process. The reputation of the leader isn't important, it's the growth and success of the guild itself and a guild is only as successful as its individual members are." She smiled at the rest of the leadership as she spoke, seeing tears creep into a few of their eyes. Mercer had meant the world to them too.

"All of this information is merely background for what I really want to say." She paused again, making sure she had the rapt attention of her guild. When all eyes were on her, just as attentive as they had been before, she spoke again. "We have work to do. We have lessons to learn. We're pressing forward as a guild and while we can't look back, we can't forget our pasts either. Skyrim is ours for the taking but we'll all have to work together to make this happen. None of us can do it alone."

She nodded to Brynjolf that she was reaching the end of her speech, so he stepped forward in order to proceed with the ceremony. Before he could begin however, she had one more surprise for her guild. The thought of what she was about to say stirred the butterflies in her stomach until they were frantic, her nerves pulsing with the weight of the moment.

"One more thing," she said with a grin towards Brynjolf before her eyes moved toward the rest of her guild. "I'm so happy that all of you can be here for this moment for me. I wouldn't rather share this with any of group of people on Nirn," she grinned as they grinned back. "There is only one other person who I need to be here so that this moment can be complete as one of the happiest moments of my life."

Each member of the guild's leadership snapped their heads up to look at Kaiya in unison, but she couldn't match their gazes or else she wouldn't be able to finish what she was trying to do. "As we press forward as a guild, we have to make sure we're learning from the past and what better person to teach us about the power of fucking up than our former Guildmaster."

She finished her thought with a shrug, speaking as if this was obvious. A hush fell over the room. Every mouth in the guild was hanging open, waiting to see what would happen next. And then they heard it.

Heavy boots pounding on stone.

Someone was coming, storming towards the Flagon from the cistern. It was a sound they had all heard so many times but it seemed out of place now, like it shouldn't be real. But yet, here it was.

One step after another, the boots on stone got closer and closer before the door leading into the Flagon slammed open with a bang and the mysterious figure entered, bringing gasps out of everyone in the guild.

Mercer strode in, smirk firmly planted on his face, as he took in the sight of the shocked guild before him. All of the oxygen in the room was sucked out through the gasps of the thieves. Mouths hung open. Blank stares met his eyes. Brynjolf began to cry. Delvin barked out a laugh. Vex screamed as if in shock. Mercer's voice boomed around the cavernous tavern as he addressed the room with a grin.

"And so ends the lesson!"


	11. Epilogue

Kaiya waltzed toward the secret entrance of the cistern through the graveyard, a giddy perk in her step as she moved. Her new Guildmaster armor felt stiff with her movements, the leather creaking and groaning with its novelty, but she had to break it in somehow. She whistled a bard's song, her happiness no longer able to be held back. Everything was finally coming together.

When she entered the cistern, she nodded and smiled at the thieves that moved around the stone pathways. They nodded in return, a show of respect to her authority. Her prancing did not cease as she traversed over the wet stones of the cistern toward the Ragged Flagon, where she had a very important meeting to attend.

The Flagon was bursting at the seams with thieves, the energy high and volume even higher as they shouted over each other to be heard. Beads of sweat rolled down Vekel's face as he tried to keep up with the demand for mead from all of the bodies that crowded his bar. When he spotted her, his lips turned into a grin as he stopped everything he was doing to serve her a mead. "For the Guildmaster," he said in reverence before turning his attention back to the thirsty thieves before him.

Kaiya swept her bottle of mead off the counter before sauntering over to where the guild's leadership sat at a table. Most of them had not even noticed that she had arrived, their attention held by the map spread out on the table before them. Red and blue flags littered the parchment, a common sight in most holds throughout Skyrim. The thieves were in an in depth discussion about the civil war, trying to decipher the next move that Ulfric and his Stormcloaks would make, giving Kaiya's approach no attention. One of the rogues at the table did notice Kaiya however, his face lighting up with her arrival.

"Come here, you" Mercer growled as he pulled Kaiya into his lap. He placed a kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear, "I missed you. This is boring without you here."

"Oh hush you big baby," she teased back, smacking Mercer on the shoulder. She couldn't act aggravated for long however, and pulled him into a hug so she could whisper her own confession in his ear. "I missed you too."

"Oh dear gods, are we going to have to put up with this now?" Vex groaned as she finally noticed what was taking place at the leadership table, her attention drawn from the map.

"Get used to it, Vex" Mercer chided, wrapping his arms even tighter around Kaiya's waist. "You and Delvin could do it too if you'd get your heads out of your asses."

A heated blush crept over Vex's face as her mouth gaped open at Mercer's bluntness. "What?!" she squeaked out, her wide eyes looking toward Delvin with accusation. Delvin's head fell back as he coughed out a laugh at the ceiling. "I told you they knew, babe." He responded to her with so much softness, Kaiya felt her heart tug for the couple.

"Uh, could we get back to business?" Karliah spoke now, her eyes looking down so that she didn't have to make eye contact with anyone at the table. If Kaiya didn't know any better, she would have sworn that Karliah's dark skin was tinged with a little pinkness of its own. What secrets was she holding onto? The question was quickly answered in Kaiya's mind as soon as Brynjolf spoke. "Karliah lass, you wanna take a seat in my lap?" The redness grew more intense across Karliah's cheeks but she couldn't fight the grin that crept up at his words. "Shut up, Brynjolf" she admonished weakly, her hand smacking his shoulder.

"So what did you guys figure out while I was gone?" Kaiya jumped in to save Karliah from any more embarrassment, earning a smile of thanks from the Dunmer.

"We were trying to decide what side of the civil war would benefit our plan the most for you to join. We'd get better inside information and perhaps could plant a few moles with the Imperials, but the Stormcloaks seem to have a better chance of winning and thus a better chance of helping us toward our endgame," Mercer explained as he leaned toward the map, his deep voice drawing shudders out of Kaiya as he spoke directly into her ear.

"I see," she said, trying to rein in the warmth that was sliding up her spine as she continued to sit on his lap.

"What about your mission, love?" Delvin asked, directing Kaiya's attention away from the solid body behind her. "Did you make any headway?"

"Oh yeah," she shrugged with confidence, "tons. We should have people showing up any minute now that are willing to help us."

"That a girl, lass!" A wolfish grin spread across Brynjolf's face as he spoke, the sheer enormity of calling in Kaiya's allies not lost on him. "This is going to be a heist to remember."

Before long, the allies Kaiya mentioned began filtering into the Ragged Flagon from the Ratway. It started with Jzargo and Enthir stumbling in, Jzargo complaining about having to sneak through the city that didn't allow Khajiit inside the walls. Gulum-Ei made an entrance shortly thereafter, followed by Vilkas and Aela who looked completely out of place in the dingy sewer tavern. Rune came running into the Flagon with a letter from Erikur who pledged his support while Keerava hand delivered a petition signed by all the shopkeepers in Riften vowing their allegiance as well. Kaiya's heart dropped when Madanach entered silently through the Ratway, keeping to the shadows so as to not draw attention to himself or to his fellow Forsworn who accompanied him.

When it seemed as though most of the reinforcements had filtered into the Ragged Flagon, Mercer decided it was time to begin planning. "Thank you all for coming," he bellowed into the cavernous room, drawing all attention to him. "I think we may be still waiting on a few more, but let's get started."

"I still can't believe we're doing this," Vex grumbled from behind him, her forehead resting in her hands. "Even with all of these people, we're fools to consider it."

"Did someone say fool!?" an excited voice from the shadows called out, the eeriness from the statement giving chills to a few members of the guild. The chills continued as the Keeper from the Dark Brotherhood made his presence known, stepping out of the shadows with a jig. "Fool of hearts, at your service!" he cried, dropping into a deep bow of reverence for his beloved Listener. It wasn't until he moved that his companions could be seen hiding in the shadows he had stepped from, a cautious Babette and Nazir merely watching from the darkness.

Kaiya buzzed with the thrill of being surrounded by all of her nearest and dearest. It was really happening. The plan was beginning to take shape.

Vex sighed in resignation. "So we're really doing it then?"

"Oh yes!" Kaiya exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. "I've been waiting for this for so long!"

"So let's do it," Mercer declared, his strong voice demanding attention as it moved through the room, drawing the gaze of each of their new allies.

"Let's take down the Black-Briars."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a wild ride :) Thanks for reading!


End file.
